A Devoted Art
The International Center of Photography is currently showcasing an exhibition of two notable wartime photographers, Gerda Taro and Robert Capa. The exhibition is a story of two adventurous photographers, who came together and spent a lifetime photographing the events that would eventually become important moments in history.
Taro’s adventure began in Germany, where she was associated with anti-Nazi activists. She fled, changing her name from Gerta Pohorylle to Gerda Taro. Robert Capa was born Endre Friedman in Hungary. After moving to Paris, Friedman changed his name to Andre. It is in Paris that Andre first met Taro and together they covered the Spanish Civil War for Vu magazine. Together, they transformed their identity to what are now Gerda Taro and Robert Capa.
The Gerda Taro exhibition captures a clear transformation from happiness to devastation. Gerda Taro’s photographs communicate a message that the world has been transformed by the war to a state of insensitivity. Her photographs capture moments of disarray and murkiness.
Gerda Taro’s photographs have a soft focus. She captures a vast amount of gray, capturing more of the atmosphere than facial expressions. Taro is famous for capturing startling pictures such as photographs of dead soldiers and civilians on the slab and the hard floors: some are even piled next to one another on stretchers. She had learned a valuable lesson from Robert Capa, which was to get up close when taking pictures.
Robert Capa’s photographs capture an intensity and passion that made wartime photography famous. Capa had an uncanny ability to capture dramatic moments in history. He has been fortunate enough to be present in the Spanish Civil War allowing him to capture some of his most famous works. The “Falling Soldier”, arguably the most famous wartime photograph, was captured by Capa during the Spanish Civil war. There is a clear distinction between Capa and other photographers, which is his resolve to go to all areas of the world to capture the essence of the story, even going through treacherous terrain and the life threatening situations to do so. This photograph captures the sheer intensity of the moment, from the bullet stray to the man falling from the impact. Many of his photographs displayed in the International Center of Photography are powerful images,
Among the many exhibits, one touches home for many spectators. The D-Day exhibit Capa captured brought amazingly graphic images from Omaha beach to people back in America. Even the blurry imagery communicates some aspect of war. As a spectator, the blurriness in the images convey that war blurs the line between ethics or morality.
The combination of these two photographers in one whole exhibition evoked a true sense of wartime photography and its powerful nature. The images Gerda Taro and Robert Capa captured were intensely vivid and many doubted the validity of them. Many critics argued that these photographs were, in fact, staged. However, Taro and Capa photographs served to unmask the truth, which sometimes required some manipulation. The New York Times describe it best when they said, “Both Taro and Capa were critically aware of how popular sentiment could be swayed by pictures.” (Schhwendener par. 7) These two photographers devoted their lives to capturing the war so the rest of the world could see it at the forefront.