Issue 40 / January 2012
André Kertész at the Photographer's Gallery
Currently showing at the Photographers' Gallery is On Reading, a delightful exhibition of André Kertész's street portraits of readers.
Kertész, often called 'the godfather or photojournalism' was born in Hungary, but lived and worked all over the world, including Argentina, Hungary, France, UK, and USA. He claimed to have been taking pictures long before he possessed a camera. "I had always been looking out for things to photograph, looking out for the essential, even at six years old." While best known for his observations of social change, the On Reading series was one he added to throughout his life.
No matter where he was or what assignment he was on, Kertész continued to photograph readers of all ages in various locations - on rooftops and balconies, in parks, on crowded streets, at train stations, in libraries - compiling a poetic study of the act of reading.
In one photograph, a young boy sits on top of a pile of discarded newspapers in a New York doorway, absorbed in a comic strip. Kertész captures the child's total concentration and even contentment as he leans in to the page, a half eaten ice cream in hand. In another, three Hungarian urchins, barefoot and ragged, sit cheek by jowl engrossed in a picture book perched on the middle boy's lap. The image is a joyful expression of the transportive power of stories.
There is something undeniably fascinating about watching other people read, imagining what world they are travelling through as they sway on the tube or idle in the park. On Reading celebrates this gentle voyeurism. Kertész's photographs capture the universal appeal of reading, revelling in the privacy of the moment. Natasha Rivett-Carnac
On Reading runs until October 9th 2009.
The Photographers' Gallery is located at 16-28 Ramillies Street, London W1F 7LW.
There will be a book swap at the gallery on 12 of September at 1:00pm. For more information visit www.photonet.org.uk
Thursday, 27 August, 2009
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