After looking through the Magnum website I discovered that the Magnum collective has an incredibly wide range of talented photographers. From fashion and celebrities to wars and landscapes Magnum photos displayed all aspects of life: the creativity, the joy, the sorrow, the love. What I found most captivating was the fact that a majority of the photos were shot in black and white. I feel like it gave the photos more depth and more room for interpretation. The color, while stunning in some photographs, was distracting in others.
I chose to look at the works of Alessandra Sanguinetti and Erich Lessing. I was drawn into Alessandra’s work because there are so few women in the Magnum collective. One of her photo’s that particularly stuck out to me was from her Sweet Expectations series. This young girl could not be older than 7 and she is photographed struggling in heels. It is adorably sweet playing dress up. Does she want to be like her mom, her sister, her grandmother? Every young girl dresses up. I think this photo is a testament to the ironically bittersweet contradiction that when we’re young you wish to dress up and be like the grown ups but as we get older we wish the process of growing up would slow down. Since this picture is not captioned with a description of the scene, it is left up to the interpretation of the viewer. And when a collection title Sweet Expectations I think this photo is reflective of innocence and a child’s naïveté about growing up.
Another photo that I loved of hers was the photo of a young girl, presumably the ring bearer, and a bride. This photo was also a part of the Sweet Expectations series. There are so many ‘sweet expectations’ in this photograph. Those of the bride who has fantasies of the wedding about to occur, about her approaching marriage, about her future with the love of life. Expectations of the ring bearer to not trip, or lose the rings, to one day be a bride herself. The bride’s expression, while blurred out in the background, can still be perceived as happy. The young girl in contrast looks innocent, a bit distant, but sweet nonetheless.
While both of these photos are stunning they have a melancholy tone to them. Alessandra does a wonderful job of capturing the vulnerable moments in life and although they are beautiful they are equally sad.
Erich Lessing in contrast, does a fantastic job of capturing life’s candid moments of joy. There is almost more hope in his photos than in those of Alessandra’s regardless of her series title. For example, in this first photo it captures a young couple in a tavern sharing a kiss. An intimate moment with so much hope. Are they dating? Married? Is this just for the night? Whatever the reality is, the viewer is more prone to feel the hope of young love. However fleeting, young persons disregard the odds and throw themselves into things, such as relationships, wholeheartedly. Perhaps this couple isn’t young, which makes the sentiment all the more sweet and hopeful. A love to aspire to. A love that lasts a lifetime.
Another photo by Erich Lessing is that of the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party joking with Soviet Minister of Defence Marshal. Regardless of the circumstance, this photo appears to be candid and clearly the subjects look happy. I feel that Lessing had a keen eye for capturing the little joys and small victories in life.
Dear Gabriella,
Nice work. A few thoughts and questions in response—
I’d love to hear you elaborate on this comment, “I feel like [black and white photography] gave the photos more depth and more room for interpretation.” How/why does b&w give more space for interpretation? And to what end?
In response to the photo of the girl dressing up, you say, “I think this photo is reflective of innocence and a child’s naïveté about growing up.” And do adult viewers read anything beyond innocence? Is this sexualized at all? If so, why? What to make of the way the jacket drapes on her shoulders—a very unnatural way to wear a jacket as a child.
I quite like your response to the first Lessing photo. You posit multiple circumstances, and even without knowing exactly what’s going on, you’re drawn in by a feeling of excitedness/love/attraction that you sense in the kissing couple. I’d have loved to hear more about the second Lessing image.