the first time i flipped through garry winogrand's book,
the man in the crowd, i was drawn to the "vintage" styles and architecture. beyond the surface, though, is an interesting juxtaposition. the photo below depicts a trio of young, stylish women--probably walking to the movies or another place of diversion. winogrand clicked his shutter at the very moment that they glance over at the hopeless, forlorn man in the wheelchair. meanwhile, a little child stares at the man, while his adult bench mates wait for the bus, too preoccupied to be concerned with anything or anybody. if winogrand had taken the photo a moment earlier or a moment later, the scene would have been lost and the composition, boring. his photos, however, are captured at the precise moment when an interaction occurs, a relationship is formed, a reaction expressed. he has brilliantly turned "street photography" into something of substance. his photographs
appear accidental, as if he quickly reached for his camera and snapped. upon further analysis, his photos are clearly deliberate; they depict human nature, human tendencies, human reactions....and that is timeless.
sidenote: another thought that crossed my mind after looking through his photographs was that everyone was so skinny. they were not, however. they were just average. we live in a time where obesity is the norm and to see so many people of a healthy weight, we automatically contrast them to our generation. just a thought.
