Bruce Davidson
Born in 1933 · United States
Staying long enough to meet people.
The story
Bruce Davidson developed projects in which the length of his presence was essential. He photographed young people in Brooklyn, the civil rights movement, a street in East Harlem and then the New York subway. These series do not present a homogeneous city: they describe specific groups and places. His documentary approach combines human proximity with formal choices, from black and white to the dense colours of Subway.
Understanding the work
Notice the distances between the camera and the people. Trust can sometimes be read in an ordinary gesture; also compare what the move to colour adds to the documentary narrative.
Key works and series
Brooklyn Gang; Time of Change; East 100th Street; Subway.
Sources & further exploration
Works in collections.
10 recordsPhotographs to explore on museum and library websites, with titles, dates and processes. Each link opens the collection record and its image where one is available.
