‘Chaotic, dark, confined, dangerous, beautiful.’ Those are the five words that popped into my head after checking out ‘Subway.’
Ars Celare Artem.
Those Latin words, shared by a friend, popped into my head, too.
Throughout your life, depending on circumstances, you’re paying attention to different things: ‘What is that man doing..is this a problem?’ ‘She’s definitely checking me out.’ ‘Man, I’m bored. I really can’t miss this interview.’ ‘I guess…….we’ll just wait for the results.’
Human misery, neglect and loneliness are on display, but so are simple joy, love and connection.
Davidson rode the NYC City subway lines during the early 1980’s for long hours and months with Leica Rangefinder and Nikon SLR in tow. In fact, I’d argue Davidson’s choices really make the beauty and moments of connection ‘pop.’
Lens choices and angled composition
—
MoMA no. 1: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/216851. How much of the frame does the subject’s head fill. 1/12? Not a lot, yet all the angles seem to converge. There’s some small comfort in such vulnerability and some small order in the territorial scrawling, but not much.
—
MoMA no. 15: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/216851. How close is too close, before each of us appears somewhat absurd, undignified and….greasy? I almost object to the framing of this lady, but the color and composition really work (the red flower pops against the purple scrawls).
—
MoMA no. 42: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/216851. Is she classy? Out for a night on the town? A wannabe society-type? A waitress at some dive bar? a call-girl?
She’s got a quiet dignity, perhaps…but more like some rare animal caught suddenly on a trail cam. The leading lines of the car and the embers of the day fade quietly behind her.
As for the photo, it’s tough to balance the flash on her, the low light inside the car, and the natural light outside, so the horizon is a bit overexposed, but boy does the whole thing work.
—
MoMA no. 6: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/216851
The gang forms them, and they form the gang. They’re scraggly and young enough to be slightly pathetic (Orphans from The Warriors?), but the hand tat and knife-cuts around the eyes are serious enough.
Kids in bad circumstances grow up fast. Dangerous places tend to mobilize what’s dangerous within us. Davidson frames the open space/vanishing point on the right, catching lovely light against the stacked chaos on the left.
—
MoMA no. 21: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/216851
This seems like an in-between place; a private moment for a young girl on a public train.
The color palette is cool (green/gray/blue) and the doors appear weirdly gothic and strange. Most of the lines converge on her.
I hope her life turned out okay. In fact, one of Davidson’s other haunting image made me wonder the same thing (Girl holding kitten).
—
This post is intended to share the work of Bruce Davidson. In fact, I’m probably just driving up the price of the book I don’t have. I find his work consistently has something to teach.
Other thoughts: Do the driving passions of the poet/photographer/musician seeking out the marginalized result in genuine understanding, or also self-indulgence and self-regard?
A bit of both?
Does such work eventually help broaden understanding and bring people together, or can it hurt, too?
Let the work speak for itself.