Henri Cartier-Bresson: MOMA

Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century

I was fortunate enough to visit The Museum of Modern Art in 2010 and see the vast body of Henri Cartier-Bresson work on the sixth floor. The exhibition covered Cartier-Bressons whole career and included with many iconic images that I had seen before.  There were about three hundred photographs, mostly arranged thematically and supplemented with periodicals and books.

Composition and timing

For me Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) is one of the most original, accomplished, influential, and beloved figures in the history of photography. His inventive work of the early 1930s helped define the creative potential of modern photography, and his uncanny ability to capture life on the run made his work synonymous with “the decisive moment” the title of his first major book.

Magnum

He joined Robert Capa and others to form the Magnum photo agency, which enabled photojournalists to reach a broader audience through magazines such as Life while retaining control over their work.

Travels

In the decade following the war, Cartier-Bresson produced major bodies of photographic reportage on India and Indonesia at the time of independence, China during the revolution, the Soviet Union after Stalin’s death, the United States during the postwar boom, and Europe as its old cultures confronted modern realities. For more than twenty-five years, he observed the global theatre of human affairs.Museum of Art, Atlanta.

I have chosen a photo-essay as an example of Cartier-Bresson natural timing and eye for composition. This could have been a very corporate piece of photojournalism with ridged rules and presentation, however instead we have a piece that captures the atmosphere from a unbiased view point.

Photo-Essay: Bankers Trust Company, New York. 1960

Henri cartier-bresson - bank trust - photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson – bank trust – photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson – bank trust – photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson – bank trust – photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson – bank trust – photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson - bank trust - photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson – bank trust – photo essay

cartier-bresson-6

Henri cartier-bresson – bank trust – photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson - bank trust - photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson – bank trust – photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson - bank trust - photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson – bank trust – photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson - bank trust - photo essay

Henri cartier-bresson – bank trust – photo essay

Date: 1960
Title: Bankers Trust, New York
Theme: Photo-Essay: Bankers Trust