Leon Levinstein exhibition at The Met is sooooo good. Based around NY streets from the 1950's-80's -Levinstein had street style photography down before any sort of Sartorialist or Face Hunter existed! Not a fashion photography exhibit, more of a look back in time and seeing how things have changed which is definitely refreshing. Love the way he works; quite dark and grungey, lots of unflattering angles, people out and about doing their every day things and hardly any posing (and if there is, no hands on the hips or awkward skinny poses). While he was a student he apparently became obsessed with photographing strangers; devoting nights and weekends to the streets; and ultimately continued to do so for the next thirty years of his life. Yowzas.
The photographs are taken from inner city NY to the outer boroughs with a broad spectrum of people; different nationalities, ages, colour etc. Here are a few of my favs;
I walk, I look, I see, I stop, I photograph.
(I think Johnny Borrell may have been sneaking around the Levinstein Archives! Oh Johnny get outta there.)
See what I mean about the no awkward posing? There is something so brilliant about this photo (and not just for the obvious reasons of the slightly rounder notso happy woman sitting in the sand with towel on her head) but she looks so content with herself. And relaxed? I don't know. It just makes me smile, and then think for a minute or two. About what I'm not sure.
Night bloggatrons!
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