Picturing New York - Notable Absences

I have been talking to a few people about what's 'missing' from PNY. In particular, the lack of blood and guts. Obviously MoMA doesn't have 'everything' in their collection but the following are just a few notable New York images that aren't included. There is also lots of work from Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe and many others that also isn't there.

Still enjoy the show, just find it could have been so much better.

I have since noticed that many I have chosen are covert photos. The Strand, Evans and diCorcia were all made without the subject being aware of the camera.

Walker Evans

Walker Evans

Weegee

Lewis Hine

Helen Levitt

Philip-Lorca diCorcia

Paul Strand

Some highlights from 'Picturing New York' at AGWA

I went to the opening last week and I was saying to someone that the show is missing some blood and guts (Weegee's crime scene work, Hine's 'Minnie', Strand's 'Blind', etc).

In hindsight these images might not be in the collection (25,000+ photographs) but it did nonetheless feel a bit sanitised.

Big fan of the Levitts that are included, not so much of the images chosen from Evan's Subway series though. Helen Levitt was occasionally with Evans as he shot that work - and was photographed by him as a 'passenger' - so when you hold those up to Philip-Lorca diCorcia's colour image (with fish in a bag) it makes for interesting 'reading'.

The Riis is especially interesting considering the people imaged would have had to remain very still for the image.... almost contradicts the energy in the image.

Will definitely revisit the show a few times and am thinking about taking a 'touring' party if they want to tag along, hear me gush, etc.

Henri Cartier-Bresson (especially as you can see the retouching on the print!)

Dorothea Lange

Jacob Riis

Diane Arbus

Walker Evans

Helen Levitt