Bill Brandt exhibit at MoMA

There is a pretty amazing display of Bill Brandt's work at MoMA in NYC that runs through August 12.

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1343

If you live in the area or have a chance to visit I would highly recommend it. Several different subjects including London, Northern England, WW II, portraits, landscapes, and nudes. I found myself blown away.

The compositions are phenomenal. Whether they are candids, street photography, landscapes, portraits, or nudes. Regarding the nudes specifically, some of the most amazing ones for me aren't graphic. They are individual body parts composed in a way to juxtapose them with the background in striking ways. Or to abstract them to a degree that they don't immediately strike you as body parts at all. Simply brilliant stuff.

The book associated with the exhibit is worth buying, especially if you have an interest in B&W photography.

Have been thinking about this exhibit more and why it made such an impression on me.

Do we like some older photos for historical reasons only (either their place in photographic history regarding how they moved the art forward or because the clothing/vehicles/etc. create a nostalgic feel)? Do we make allowances for "deficiencies" in technique (blurry photos, considerable grain, etc.) or do these "deficiencies" actually add to the impact of the images? In some cases deliberately playing with exposure, so isn't technically a deficiency... I wonder how some of them would be critiqued if posted today on an internet forum.....

For this particular photographer I was amazed by the strength of his compositions and use of available light. May post a subsequent reply with specific examples, but reviewing his work made me take a step back in how I view everything I have shot and also provided inspiration as I go forward.

Shadow & Light is an apt title for this exhibit.