Gary Winogrand Exhibit: Adjusting My Mental Lens

After hearing the introduction in class about Winogrand’s photography, I was unsure if I would enjoy the exhibit. It seemed like an odd concept to go around and take photographs of unaware people. Also, I went on an international trip this past summer and one of my friends had quite a similar hobby as Winogrand. At various tourist attractions, she would discreetly take photographs of strangers in interesting situations. With an open mind, I adjusted my mental lens and stepped into the exhibit.

The Gary Winogrand exhibit definitely ended up being a new and exhilarating experience for me. I enjoyed Winogrand’s ability to capture specific elements of human interaction. Some of his photographs were like watching an old movie and hitting the pause button to stop at a specific moment in time. Certain scenes captured sly flirtatious glances whereas others displayed uncontrollable laughter. At first, I was dissatisfied that the majority of the photographs were untitled. I found myself desperately searching for some context to place them in. Then it occurred to me that Winogrand captures little moments that display the human condition. Even though his photographs are taking place at a specific unidentified time and place, the scenarios they depict could be seen at other given times and places in space because of our shared human nature.