Mentor Essay
Garry Winogrand – By: Brooke Williams
Garry Winogrand was a street photographer that used photography to capture life in America in the 1960s. His photographs showed social issues and the role the media played on people lives. His photos captured people’s real emotions and how certain things that affect people and take them to another level. His photos were mostly taken in black and white and on the streets.
Garry Winogrand was born January 14th 1938 in New York City. He was a street photographer known for his photographs on American life in the late 20th century. Garry Winogrand studied painting at the City College of New York, and painting and photography at Columbia University in 1948. In 1952 two of Winogrands photos were displayed at The Family of Man exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art.
In 1964 Garry Winogrand was awarded his Guggenheim Fellowship to travel America and was awarded his second in 1969 to continue exploring the medias effects on the public.
In 1971 – 72 Winogrand taught photography at the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Before his death of gal bladder cancer in 1984, Garry wrote nine books and took part in approximately thirty-three exhibits.
Garry Winogrand was an excellent photographer. Showing of pictures of the public’s effects on media and their daily lives made his photographs more relatable to the people. He became the media, taking photos at events and putting them on display for everybody to see. Winogrand believed that if the press didn’t pay attention to everything that went on other events wouldn’t even have happened at all. Telling us that the press is an important part of our society.
Garry first picked up a camera in 1950 and didn’t put it down until his death in 1984. He started off doing commercial work. Inspired by Walker Evans and Robert Frank, Winogrand emulated their intelligent use of the photographic medium.
Los Angeles 1964
This photo shows what seems to be a couple driving in their car. The photo was not staged and is even a bit blurry because the cars were moving. The photo is a real picture of real people going on with there daily lives. In this photo the man is looking at the camera but the women is not. It is a very natural photo because the subjects in the photo didn’t know that there picture was going to be taken. Garry was trying to capture the average persons life in 1964 to be exact in this case.
Peace Demonstration 1969
Looking at this photo we see American flags, soldiers and civilians. This photo appears to be taken when a fellow soldier is being buried. We see this because of the mourning civilians and the soldiers are getting ready to cover his coffin with an American flag. This photo shows real emotion. War effects many lives and Garry was trying to capture peoples real feelings and how they are affected by the media and what’s going on around them and in this photo we can see that the people in this photo are being affected by death of somebody who had served and fought for there country.
Women and Man dancing, Hands at same position 1969
This photo shows a man and a women dancing in what seems some kind of club or party venue. The woman is wearing an iconic Oasis Clarke dress and must be of some importance. The people in the picture seem to be enjoying themselves. The party I assume is at an important event. This image documents a time in American History but gives you a glimpse of how these situations were created for the media. The woman Garry photographs are going on with there daily lives unaware they are being photographed. This photograph, and Garry Winogrands other photographs, seem to be less about a particular subject and more about where the subject lies in space and how the light works to illuminate them and there surroundings.
Garry Winogrand was very important in the photography world. Today many photography students study his work and use it as a guide for there own experimenting. His fantastic shots of American life make him an icon. Garry Winogrand transformed the photos to more then they could be. The proper use of light created something different then ever before. Garry Winogrand was one of the most successful photographers for social studying and this makes him one of the best photographers in history.
