Martha's Vineyard Museum exhibition "Eisenstaedt’s Martha’s Vineyard"

 Via Musee Magazine

July 22, 2024

The Martha's Vineyard Museum's exhibition "Eisenstaedt’s Martha’s Vineyard" offers a captivating glimpse into the island's past through the lens of famed photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898-1995). Known for his iconic images published in Life magazine, Eisenstaedt's connection to Martha's Vineyard spanned several decades, starting from his first assignment there in the 1930s. Eisenstaedt was frequently seen with his camera, a Leica rangefinder, which he used to capture some of his most iconic photographs. He had a distinctive style of working, often using natural light and waiting patiently for the perfect moment to click the shutter. His small, unobtrusive camera allowed him to blend into the background and capture candid, spontaneous moments that might have been missed with larger, more conspicuous equipment.

Alfred Eisenstaedt was a German-born (which is now Poland) American photographer who is considered one of the pioneering photojournalists. He began taking photographs at a young age, receiving his first camera, an Eastman Kodak Folding Camera, when he was just 11 years old.

Eisenstaedt served in the German army during World War I and was wounded in 1918. After the war, he worked as a belt and button salesman in Weimar, Germany, but also started working as a freelance photographer for what eventually became the Associated Press.

The exhibition, curated by Anna Barber, features a rich collection of Eisenstaedt's work, highlighting both his renowned and lesser-known photographs. Visitors are invited to explore images that capture the essence of the island, such as a ferry cutting through ice in 1961 (First Boat in Three Days, 1961), island children learning square dancing, and portraits of notable locals like Mrs. Napoleon Madison (1969), a member of Aquinnah’s Wampanoag Tribe. Visitors can also listen to interviews with Eisenstaedt, about multiple subjects regarding his life. 

Curator Anna Barber shares:

"Through his photographs, Eisenstaedt shows us the Martha's Vineyard he loved- its people, its festivities, and its quiet corners. This exhibition is a tribute to his ability to capture the spirit of the Island, inviting visitors to experience it through moments both grand and profoundly personal."

Alfred Eisenstaedt

Giant Oak Tree, North Tisbury, 1969

Gift of Lucille Kaye, Courtesy of the Martha's Vineyard Museum.

This captivating photograph portrays a majestic old growth oak tree on Martha's Vineyard, showcasing a dynamic composition which shows great movement and variation. The image is beautifully balanced, with effective use of lights and shadows that enhance its visual appeal.

"For many summers, I drove past this giant oak on Martha's Vineyard. But, I always said to myself "Next time!" Then one day I took heart, found a hole in the fence and photographed. - A few months later, half the tree was lost to a disease. This tree will never look as beautiful anymore." - Eisenstaedt.

Eisenstaedt's technique, using natural light and a hand-held Leica camera, allowed him to capture candid moments and the authentic spirit of his subjects. This method is evident in his most famous photograph of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square on V-J Day. The exhibition includes personal anecdotes and memories from those who knew Eisenstaedt, offering a deeper understanding of his relationship with Martha's Vineyard and its community. 

This exhibition not only showcases Eisenstaedt’s talent but also provides a historical narrative of the island through his eyes. The museum encourages visitors to step back in time and appreciate the artistry and historical significance of these photographs in an era before digital and smartphone photography became ubiquitous.



For more details, you can explore further information at the Vineyard Gazette and The Martha’s Vineyard Museum website.

LIFE Magazine and the Power of Photography October 9, 2022–January 16, 2023

 Via Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Margaret Bourke-White, Flame Burner Ann Zarik, 1943

From the Great Depression to the Vietnam War, almost all of the photographs printed for consumption by the American public appeared in illustrated magazines. Among them, Life magazine—published weekly from 1936 to 1972—was both wildly popular and visually revolutionary, with photographs arranged in groundbreaking dramatic layouts known as photo essays. This exhibition takes a closer look at the creation and impact of the carefully selected images found in the pages of Life—and the precisely crafted narratives told through these pictures—in order to reveal how the magazine shaped conversations about war, race, technology, national identity, and more in the 20th-century United States. From Neil Armstrong’s photographs of the historic moon landing to Charles Moore’s coverage of the Birmingham civil rights demonstrations, the photographs on view capture some of the defining moments—celebratory and traumatic alike—of the last 100 years.

Drawing on unprecedented access to Life magazine’s picture and paper archives as well as photographers’ archives, the exhibition brings together more than 180 objects, including vintage photographs, contact sheets, assignment outlines, internal memos, and layout experiments. Visitors can trace the construction of a Life photo essay from assignment through to the creative and editorial process of shaping images into a compelling story. This focus departs from the historic fascination with the singular photographic genius and instead celebrates the collaborative efforts behind many now-iconic images and stories. Particular attention is given to the women staff members of Life, whose roles remained forgotten or overshadowed by the traditional emphasis on men at the magazine. Most photographs on view are original working press prints—made to be used in the magazine’s production—and represent the wide range of photographers who worked for Life, such as Margaret Bourke-White, Larry Burrows, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Frank Dandridge, Yousuf Karsh, Gordon Parks, and W. Eugene Smith.

Interspersed throughout the exhibition, three immersive contemporary “moments” feature works by artists active today who interrogate news media through their practice. A multimedia installation by Alfredo Jaar, screen prints and photographs by Alexandra Bell, and a new commission by Julia Wachtel frame larger conversations for visitors about implicit biases and systemic racism in contemporary media.

“Life Magazine and the Power of Photography” offers a revealing look at the collaborative processes behind many of Life’s most recognizable, beloved, and controversial images and photo essays, while incorporating the voices of contemporary artists and their critical reflections on photojournalism.

The exhibition is accompanied by a multi-authored catalogue, winner of the College Art Association’s 2021 Alfred H. Barr Jr. Award. “Life Magazine and the Power of Photography” is co-organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Princeton University Art Museum.

Visit the Monroe Gallery of Photography exhibition "The LIFE Photographers"

Figge Museums "New Photography" Exhibit Includes Gallery Photographer Ryan Vizzions

 

©Ryan Vizzions: 

"Defend The Sacred", Cannon Ball, Standing Rock, Standing Rock, North Dakota, 2016

Via Quad Cities

March 24, 2022

The Figge Art Museum has an extensive photography collection that continues to grow. Beginning Saturday, visitors are invited to step into the Figge’s second-floor Lewis Gallery to view a small selection of the museum’s most recent photographic additions.

Important works by some of the most significant photographers of our time provide us with a brief survey of the collection’s recent growth and the varying impulses that guide contemporary photography, according to a Thursday museum release.

The New Photography exhibition series allows the Figge to share with the QC community some of the museum’s newly acquired works featuring objects, landscapes and figures, including photos that will adorn the Figge’s walls for years to come.

“Despite the proliferation of images made with our smart phones and circulated through social media, dedicated photographers continue to create iconic images that stand above the rest,” said Director of Collections and Exhibitions Andrew Wallace. “From the frontlines of conflict to the frontlines of daily life, photographers reward us with pictures that encourage us to look more closely at the world around us and so that we may better see ourselves.”

Acclaimed 20th-century masters including Lynn Davis and Douglas Prince — as well as recent works by Cara Romero, Victoria Sambunaris, Rebecca Norris Webb, and Ryan Vizzions — will be on view.

From the real to the surreal, the exhibition will highlight photography’s continued ability to engage, inform, and amaze. New Photography will be on view (at 225 W. 2nd St., Davenport) through July 3, 2022.

  FIGGE ART MUSEUM

225 West Second Street

Davenport, Iowa