Street Seen: the Psychological Gesture in American Photography 1940-1960 (2010)

World War II and its aftermath ushered in a new era of artistic expression. Abstract Expressionism, film noir, Beat poetry, and the New Journalism – all considered responses to war’s shocking realities – were influenced by the photography of the period. Street Seen, a companion volume to an exhibition, highlights six photographers who were prominent during and immediately following the war. Lisette Model’s unflinching portraits; Louis Faurer’s cars, crowds and buildings; Ted Croner’s haunting night images; Saul Leiter’s painterly, evocative technique; William Klein’s manipulation of focus and composition; and Robert Frank’s documentation of American ideals gone awry – these and other beautifully reproduced photographs exquisitely communicate the emotional resonance of everyday life in post-war America. An essay by Lisa Hostetler explores the aesthetic revolution that took place after the war and reveals the principles of spontaneity and subjective interpretation that guided these photographers as they sought to make sense of new realities. Brief biographies and bibliography are also included in this valuable compilation of the mid-century’s most influential photography. Condition: very good.