Eyewitness exhibition of Hungarian Photographers - Royal Academy

This exhibition showed the work of some major 20th century photographers, all of whom were Hungarians, including Kertesz, Capa, Moholy-Nagy, Brassai. I knew the names of these individuals from the photography books and articles that I read for TAOP course. Kertesz, however, was the only one where I had seen more than a few images. I had enjoyed a review of an exhibition of Andre Kertesz's photography which was held in Paris in October 2010. I was particularly struck by his originality and adaptability.

I was looking hoping to see some of the photos that I had seen in the article. I also noted some ideas for portraits and people photography.

Erno Weisz: Factory worker 1932

This photograph by Kata Kalman is a tightly cropped photograph of this workers face. He is young and has a determined expression that seems to challenge the viewer. He appears self confident but also I get a feeling of endurance in what I assume was a harsh environment. Factory workers in both Europe and US were presumably adversely affected by the economic recession of those years.

The photograph resembles the atmosphere of the famous photograph by Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, Nippomo, California.

Stairway to the Cathedral, Spain 1937

In this photograph by Kati Horna, the features of a womans face are superimposed on a wall overlooking steps that presumably lead up to the cathedral. There is a window in the position of one of her eyes, and her eye is seen looking out over the steps. To me the woman's face is reminiscent of a Madonna expressing pity for the people's sufferings. I read subsequently, that Kati Horna was a woman photographer, close to Frank Capa who went with him to Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Her photography focussed primarily on the suffering of the ordinary people rather than the events on the front lines and battles. This photograph/photomontage seems to symbolize the desperation of the people in the streets during the civil war.

The impact of the image was not immediate, until I realized that the eye visible through the window formed part of a face. On reflection, the image is quite haunting, even though the facial features are more symbolic than portraying a specific individual.

In Picasso's studio, Paris 1939

There were two different portraits of Picasso in the exhibition, this full length portrait by Brassai, and a head and torso by Rogi Andre (real name: Rotzi Klein).

In Brassai's photo, Picasso is seated besides a huge stove or boiler that stretches up to the ceiling. The boiler is a very striking piece of industrial equipment. Furthermore, it has been lit to cast an oversize dark shadow on the wall, and Picasso is seated directly in front of the shadow. This gives the impression of a visual connection between Picasso and the boiler. Picasso is actually looking out of the picture away from the camera, as if he would rather be somewhere else. The lighting of the scene creates a strong visual composition, similar in character to some of Brassai's night photography. The exhibition notes suggested that the boiler symbolizes Picasso's creative fire. For me however, the lack of materials dropped on the floor, and the tweed suit and tie worn by Picasso do not strongly portray the vibrancy and chaos of testing ideas. Picasso looks as if he is about to leave for the opening of an exhibition of his work rather than work on his latest project.

Conclusions

These photos illustrate the variety of feelings conveyed by portraits: social reportage (Factory worker), symbolic/iconic representation (Stairway to the cathedral), visual pleasure of composition (In Picasso's studio).