The New York School of Photography refers to a distinctive group of photographers who lived and worked in New York City during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. The acute recognition of photography as a reputable art form is in large part connected to sixteen photographers of this “school.” These photographers are characterized as sharing a common photographic philosophy, approaching it with the belief in humanistic values, and working within the medium deliberately against the grain of photographic thought. These photographers were seen as rebels in the photographic world because they consciously and ruthlessly rejected the convention of photography in pursuit of individual reality. The result created an evolutionary change in the visage of photography.
The New York School of Photography consisted of Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Alexey Brodovitch, Ted Croner, Bruce Davidson, Don Donaghy, Louis Faurer, Robert Frank, Sid Grossman, William Klein, Saul Leiter, Leon Levinstein, Helen Levitt, Lisette Model, David Vestal, and Weegee. These photographers shared many of the same influences and similar aesthetic methodologies. In the 1930’s, several different “schools” of photography were forming throughout the United States. Alfred Stieglitz is essential in the connection to all of them.
Alfred Steiglitz
The Great Depression let to the development of the Farm Security Administration or the FSA. The main focus of this group was to document the circumstances of the underprivileged and deprived. The result created a new way of viewing the power of photography and the individual approach of the photographer. This new way of seeing the world was photojournalism. With the creation of these schools, the veracity of the photographer became a primary factor in the creation of their photography. The photographers who were a part of The New York School rejected the idea of photography as social change.
Migrant Mother, Dorothea Lange
The city of New York is the fundamental foundation that connected all of these photographers. A relationship between art and social change created intellectual and artistic movements. The conditions of the working class were seen as a governmental failure, which fueled artists creating “public works.” Much of the art created was socially stimulated and created a connection both politically and socially.
Mexican Revolution, Diego Rivera
Magazines such as Fortune and Life, and became a very important medium for the distribution of photography. They also propelled the idea of fashion as an art through photography. Magazines focusing on “fine art” were stark. As a result, photographers formed agencies and created galleries to feature their work. The Levy Gallery was one of the first to show photography. Photographers sought refuge in coffeehouses and privately supported venues to exhibit and view photography. Books also became a viable and tangible resource for photographers to publicize their photos and gain recognition. The Museum of Modern Art became the most important support system for photographers and the man appointed director of the department of photography, Edward Steichen, the man who revolutionized commercial photography.
Edward Steichen
The cinema influenced many of the photographers from the New York School. The creation of film noir became a strong source of inspiration in their work. European cinema was an influence and a vanguard toward the progression of an ultramodern approach to their work. Many of the photographers included in the loosely dictated group of the New York School are from other countries. This European modernism influenced not only personal approaches in photography but general artistic perceptions in the photographic world creating a new standard of seeing and the emergence of the New York School.
Fallen Angel (1945)
Helen Levitt is a particular photographer from this group that I am personally drawn to. She was greatly influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson, with whom I also have an affinity for. Her photography possesses an intuition and sensitivity. Her compositions show her presence in shooting and the receptiveness to the world she lived in. She recognized the significance of gesture and moved with the movements of the streets. Her images created a presence of complexity of light and shadow. Her method has greatly influenced and continues to inspire my personal approach to photography.
Broken Mirror, Helen Levitt
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