" r-.:, ....

Muselim ofModern Art53 Street, New York, N.Y. 10019 Circle 5·8900 Cable,Modernart

Near Inverary Castle, Argyll, Scotland. 1960

.,,",

San Diego Freeway. 1964

The exhibition was selected by John Szarkowski, Director of theDepartment of Photography, The Museum of Modern Art, N. Y.

1966

No. 83FOR PJ::LEASE:Thursday, July 7, 1966

PRESS PRE1JIEH:Wednesday, July 6, 196611 a.m. - 4 psm •

. .~

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OOUCTION

ll/fitl\,-0 I-implest and purest, photographY is observation. Good pho-y has demonstrated that observation can be a creative act.

ntemporary photographers give us their observation soellished-so free of apparent craft or artifice-as Bruceon does. In his work formal and technical concerns remainthe surface, all but invisible. The presence that fills these5 seems the presence of the life that is described, scarcely

d by its transmutation into art.g fundamentally in the reportage tradition, Davidson hasne of those who have redirected that tradition away fromern for dramatic narrative and toward a heightened aware-f photography's ability to evoke the indefinable sense ofcharacter, and relationship. His earlier work, as seen here inglish essay (1960), is spontaneous and intuitive; it delightsfugitive and the evanescent. In comparison, the recent workctive and deliberate; the pictures are both more static andinsistent. In this more contemplative way of working, thee becomes in a sense a collaborative venture between therapher and the subject. A similarly unhurried reciprocityessary between the print and the viewer-these are picturesonsidered with attention. J. S.

Davidson was born in 1933 in Oak Park, Illinois, and be-committed to photography during childhood. After under-ate study at the Rochester Institute of Technology (notablyalph Hattersley), he studied graphic arts and philosophY atniversity. Since 1959 he has been a member of Magnums, Inc. In 1962 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowshiptography. His work has been widely exhibited, and was thet of a one-man exhibition at The Art Institute of Chicago

5.

•

CATALOG OF THE EXHIBITiON

Great Britain1 Along Brighton Beach. 1960'2 Brighton Beach. 1960·3 Brighton Beach. 19604 Brighton Beach. 1960'5 Gamekeeper, pitlochry, Scotland. 1960'6 Hastings. 19607 Library in London. 19608 London. 1960'9 London. 1960'10 London. 1960II Moors, Cambeflown, Argyll, Scotland. 196012 Near tnverary Castle, Argyll, Scotland. 196013 Outside London Cof/ee Shop. 1960'14 Pub inScotland. 196015 TralalgarSquare.1960'16 Whitby, Yorkshire. 1960'17 Women's 8owls, Hastings. 1960'18 Blackpool.196519 TowerinBlackpool. 196520 Wax Museum, Blackpool. 1965

The Negro American21 Harlem. 196222 Park in Tennessee. 196223 South Carolina. 1962'24 Cenlral Park atJ05th Street. 196325 15West471h Sireet, New York. 1963'26 47th Street, New York. 1963'27 New York. 1963'

Wales28 Denise, South Wales. 196529 Father and Son,South Wales. 1965'30 South Wales. 1965'31 South Wales. 196532 South Wales. 196533 Wild Pony, South Wales. 1965

other Places34 Sicily. 1961'35 Near the Beach. 1964'36 San Diego Freeway. 196437 Tract Development near Los Angeles. 196438 Secaucus, New Jersey. 1965'39 Spain. 1965'40 Hackensack, New Jersey. 1966

.Collection, The Museum of Modern Art

All other works are lenl by the pholographer.All prints in the exhibition were made by Joseph Portogallo. Thephotographs of 8\ackpool and Wales are exhibited with the

permission of Holiday magazine .

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eMuseum'of odernArt No. 83FORP.r:LEASE:Thursday, July 7, 1966est 53 Street, New York, N.Y.10019 Circle 5-8900 Cable,Modernart

PRESSPREVIEH:.Tednesday, July 6, 196611 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Forty photographs by the young Americanphotographer BRUCEDAVIDSON,including works

from his essays on England, "Tales, Los Angeles and the American Negro, will be on

view in the third floor galleries of the Edward Steichen photography Center at The

Museumof ModernArt from July 7 through September.

John Szarkowski, Director of the Museum's Department of Photography, who selected

the photographs in the exhibition, says, "Few contemporary photographers give us their

observation so unembellished __ so free of apparent craft or artifice -- as does

Bruce Davidson. In his work.. formal and technical concerns remain below the surface,

all but invisible. The presence that fills these pictures seems the presence of the

life that is described, scarcely changed by ;Ets transmutation ihto art."

Davidson's earlier work, seen in the exhibition in his 1960 English essay which

was originally commissionedby the Londonmagazine The Queen and later published in

in this country in Horizon, is spontaneous and intuitive, it delights in the fugi ti ve

and the evanescen~ according to Mr. Szarkowski. His more recent work, exemplified

by his photographs of the Negro American, is more reflective and deliberate.

Bruce Davidsonwas born in OakPark, Illinois, in 1933. He becameinterested

in photography during childhood and committed to a career in that field while still

in high school. After undergraduate study at the Rochester Institute of Technology,

he studied art and philosophy at Yale University. In 1958, he joined MagnumPhotos,

Inc. In 1962, he was awarded a GuggenheimFelloelship and produced a photographic

study on the AmericanNegro.

Davidson's workhas been widely published in the United States and abroad and

has been widely exhibited in this country. His photographs were first shown at

TheMuseumof ModernArt in 1958-59 in an exhibition of photographs from the Museum's

collection, and his photographic essay "Brooklyn Gang",las included in the inaugural

exhibi tion in the Steichen Galleries in May 1964. Last year a one-manexhibition

more •••

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L ',~- r·....,r 1...· , f::" ,"". , Wl ''', 'r f~ rVi !":1:1 .iilQJ U'Ju\lJ<:.JiJitiJOJU ©'u' ~J<J@[W®U'[j"U i~r~:t 53 Street, New York, N,Y,l0019 Circle 5,8900 ~""I', '~QOo,oo.t, BRUCEDAVIDSON

f\lI/vl j\ July 7 - October 2, 1966" '.

S'l) l WALLLABEL

At its simplest and purest, photography is observation. Good photography has

emonstrated that observation can be a creative act.

Few contemporary photographers' give us their observation so unembellished

free of apparent craft or artifice -_ as Bruce Davidsondoes. In his work formal

d technical concerns remain be Iou the surface, all but invisible. The presence

these pictures seems the presence of the life that is described, scarcely

its transmutation into art.

Working fundamentally in the reportage tradition, Davidson has been one of

hosewho have redirected that tradition a~lay froma concern for dramatic narrative,

toward a heightened allareness of photography's ability to evoke the indefinable

se of place, character, and relationship. His earlier work, as seen here in the

lish essay (1960) is spontaneous and intuitive, it delights in the fugitive and

evanescent. In comparison the recent work is reflective and deliberate; the

, 'lctures are both more static and more insistent. In this more contemplative way

,f working the picture becomes in a sense a collaborative venture between the photo-

apher and the subject. A similarly unhurried reciprocity is necessary between the

int and the viel'1er __ these are pictures to be considered with attention.

John szarkO\~ski

Bruce Davidson was born in 1933 in .oak Park, Illinois, and became committed to

tography during childhood. After undergraduate study at the Rochester Institute

',Technology (notably with RIll~b'Hattersley) he studied art and tihi1osophy.

Yale University. Since 1959 he has been a memberof MagnumPhotos, Inc. In 1962

was awarded a GuggenheimFellowship in photography. His work has been widely

and was the subject of a one-man exhibition at The Art Institute of

icago in 1965. "The photographs of Uales and of England (1965) are exhibited with theBsion of, Holiday magazine. ,. - ,'- " ' ' . - .' - •

All prints in the exhibition were made by Joseph portogallo ... ~*'**

per-

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-2-

r I,

f his works was held at The Art Institute of Chicago.

The present exhibition is part of a continuing series of small shows in the

steichen Galleries emphasizing the workof one photographer or presenting recent

photOgraphiCacquisitions. These showsare presented in addition to the larger

photographYexhibitions shownperiodically in the Museum'sfirst floor galleries.

The Edward Steichen Photography Center, which openedin May1964, contains

I

I

I

'I

theMuseum's unique Collection of over 7,000 photographic prints dating from 1839

to the present day. About 200 photographs from the Collection are continuously

onview, those not on view may be seen, by appointment, in the fourth floor Study

Roomof the Steichen Center.

*&"*,,L4****************************4"-lt-~1-*-l1-**~t-* "

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e Museum of Modern Artt 53 Street, New York, N.Y. 10019 Circle 5·8900 Cable, Modernart

CHECKLIST

BRUCEDAVIDSON

Ju~ 7,-. October 2, 1966

'tlales 196;;Great Britain 1960

1. London,.2. London3. Brighton Beach4. Movie House, London5. Outside LondonCoffee Shopb. Along Brighton Beach7. Brighton Beach8. Women'sBowls, Hastings9. . Brighton Beach10. Brighton Beach11. Lover's Leap, Hastings12. Brighton Beach13. Hastings14. London15. London .- 2 ;1.6. Trafalgar Square17. Pub in Scotland18. Library in London19. Inverary, Argyll, Scotland20. LondonParade21. England22. Moors, Cambeltown, Argyll, Scotland23. Whitby, Yorkshire24. GameKeeper, Pitlochry, Scotland25. Near Inverary Castle, Argyll,

Scotland

36. South Wales37. South !,vales38. Father and Son, Sojj.th\,jales-39. vlUd Pony, South Wales40. South 1;Jales41. Denise, South Wales

Los Angeles 1964

42. On the Beach43. Los Angeles International Airport1+4. San Diego Freeway45. Near the Beach46. \lear Hilshire Boulevard47. Across from City Hall

MiscellaneousNorth table48. Sicily, 196149. Spain, 196550. Secaucus, NewJersey, 196551. Coney Island, 196652. Tract Development near Los Angeles,

1964

South table53. Blackpool, 196554. WaxMuseum, Blackpool, 196555. Hackensack, NewJersey, 196656. Tm-Jerin Blackpool, 196557. Junkyard, Jersey Meadows, 1966

Photographs of Wales and Blackpool areexhibited with the permission ofHoliday magazine. The prints weremadeby Joseph Portogallo. All photo-graphs are on loan from the photographer

26. Harlem, 196227. NewYork, 196328. Central Park at 105th Street, 196329. 15 West 47th Street, NewYork, 196330. 47th Street, NewYork, 196331. South Carolina, 196232. Mr. Haroldson and Sons, Near Selma,

196533. MountBayou, Mississippi, 196234. West Virginia, 196235. Park in Tennessee, 1962

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