Ben Shahn was born in Kaunus, Lithuania in 1898. He emigrated to the United States in 1906 with his family. He became a lithographer’s apprentice after he finished his schooling. He later returned to school for art and design training. In the 1920s he became part of the social realism movement. This term is used to describe the works of American artists during the Depression era that devoted their talents to depicting the social problems of the suffering lower classes like urban decay, labor strikes, and poverty.
I think his most striking works are his street photography all taken between 1932 and 1935. They helped define urban life in the 1930s through the prosaic daily activities of ordinary people. He used a handheld 35 mm, Leica camera, and photographed everyday life in Manhattan. The images illustrate unemployment, poverty and protest. Shahn’s photographs also inspired most of the work he is more widely known for: socially conscious paintings and graphic works, as well as public mural projects that promoted social reform programs of the time.
thanks for the post, I looked up some of his street photos and they definitely capture that time period perfectly. I thought he photos were very informative and real but also had a very profound and cinematic element to them.
ReplyDeleteWhat amazing photographs. I think the work of photographers during this time was largely unrecognized. As in any area of oppression, I think the most effective form of activism a person could do is to educate others about what's happening. Showing people such harrowing pictures really helps illustrate the reality of what's happening.
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