We've been meaning to go check out Arnold Newman: Masterclass at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco for a while now and are so glad we did. It is truly an impressive exhibition of one of the most productive, creative, influencial and successful portrait photographers of the twentieth century. Newman, who passed away in 2006 photographed famous artists, creatives, scientists, intellectuals, authors, and statesman with great sensitivity and care, incorporating each subjects personal environment, work, and intellectual background in his photographs.
For Newman, creating a successful portrait was a question of camera, lighting, film, and the cropping of a picture. Martha Graham, Philip Johnson, Marilyn Monroe, Grandma Moses, Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and Pablo Picasso are only a few of his celebrated sitters. With his poignant and symbolic portraits, Newman set high artistic and aesthetic standards. Arnold Newman: Masterclass includes 200 vintage black and white photographs which showcase Newman’s talent. This exhibition presents his most famous portraits, in addition to early street photography, architectural studies, and still lifes, as well as sheets with zoom and crop marks, which have never been shown publicly. With Masterclass, we gain insight about Newman’s approach to photography and his contribution to the field of portraiture. Arnold Newman: Masterclass has been organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis, and the Harry Ransom Center, Austin.
The exhibition closes on Feburary 1st, 2014.
All images courtesy arnoldnewman.com
