You’re Not Close Enough
This is War! The title of the latest photography exhibition at the International Center for Photography is as eye catching as the photographs it features. Robert Capa is the featured photographer in this provocative collection. As a war photographer, Capa is known not only for his intense representation of difficult subjects like war, but he is also famous for coming incredibly close to death itself, yet he puts no one else at danger but himself. The photos in the exhibition, therefore, show not only the danger posed to the soldiers valiantly sacrificing their lives in World War II but also the extreme conditions under which Capa nearly risked his life in his quest to portray the war as accurately as possible.
It would be unfair not to discuss the most notorious of Capa’s photographs, entitled The Falling Soldier, which was taken in 1936. The reason why this photo is so starkly powerful is because of its ability to strike strong emotions within the viewer. The portrait of the anonymous soldier is not so much “falling” as he is dying, so the title is a euphemism for the event. It is shocking in its content because it is a picture that is taken so close to death in two ways, first it is near to the battle scene and second, the young man is nearing his death.
Aside from The Falling Soldier, many of Capa’s other pictures also evoked thoughts and sensations within the onlookers. The collection of photos taken on D-Day in June 1944 shows an even grittier and more realistic perspective on that historic day. In particular, the photo American Soldier Landing on Omaha Beach, with its blurred lines and deep contrast between the various shades of grey and black, creates an unforgettable look into the constant and hurried mobility that defines the meaning of war.
By being unafraid to come so close to death that he was surrounded by it, Capa achieved an honesty that is often absent in contemporary war photos, which can seem modified to meet the propagandist’s motives. Capa’s photos share a sense of frenzied energy and detestation that succeeds in translating a universal message concerning both war and the art of photography. It is not until one feels the fatality of war that he is able to truly comprehend and prevent it. It is not until a photographer is in such close proximity with his subject that he is able to capture a photograph. As Capa said, “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”