My Day at the MET

“Sometimes I feel like the world is a place I bought a ticket to. It’s a big show to me, as if it wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t there with a camera.” After seeing his exhibit, I found brilliance in this statement by Mr. Winogrand.

Before actually visiting the exhibit, I could understand the controversy over the quality of Gary Winogrand’s work. “Does he really deserve to be such a successful photographer if all he does is take everyday pictures of random people in the street?” I’m glad to say that by the end of the exhibit my answer was, “Of course he does!”

There are so many aspects to Gary Winogrand’s work that I love:

1) He titles his photographs with just the location the picture was taken (i.e. “Long Island 1981”). By doing so, he lets us (the viewers) to interpret the photos ourselves and give our own meaning to the moment. He gives us the opportunity to become storytellers.

For example, I personally would title this photo: “A Woman in a Man’s World.” Notice how this woman is surrounded by men and only men. Maybe at this point in history, most women didn’t have careers. But this specific woman seems to be determined and ambitious.

2) The thing about passing somebody by in the street is that the concept of you experiencing that same thing again is practically impossible. Everyday moments are only experienced once. Life passes by quickly and we have to appreciate every moment. By this photographer taking pictures of these moments, it is instantly captured and can always be remembered. Most photographers limit their work to the sole concept of what is beautiful, but Winogrand offers a whole spectrum of everyday life and activities. We would never think to notice a person passing by us on the street, but I’m sure glad he did.

3) Every photo depicts a situation that is relatable to our lives. We can relate more to a photo of 2 average women trying to hail a taxi in New York City, than a photo of a 5’11 airbrushed model advertising a $13,000 watch.

I really loved this exhibit. Gary Winogrand’s work actually reminds me of an Instagram account that I follow. It’s called @humansofNY. The bio of this account states “New York City, one story at a time. Currently on 50 day trips across 10 countries.” Like Winogrand, @humansofNY captures daily life moments all over the world. I strongly recommend checking it out!