A Deeper Look into Garry Winogrand’s “Untitled, c. 1962”
If you’re into photography, you’ve probably heard of Garry Winogrand. Known for his dynamic and candid street photography, Winogrand captured the essence of American life in the mid-20th century. One of his notable works is the “Untitled, c. 1962,” an intriguing photograph that features a couple standing near an animal cage, likely at a zoo. This image is not just a testament to Winogrand’s skill but also a subject of thoughtful analysis by the renowned photography curator John Szarkowski.
Born in New York in 1928, Garry Winogrand started his journey in photography during his service in the U.S. Air Force. He later worked for various agencies in New York, where he honed his craft. Winogrand was known for his ability to capture the spontaneity of life. He roamed the streets, zoos, airports, and various public spaces with his camera, creating images that were both visually compelling and deeply reflective of the social dynamics of the time.
Winogrand’s work often didn’t have a premeditated message. He once famously said, “I photograph to see what the world looks like in photographs.” His images were about capturing the moment as it was, without staging or preconception. This approach made his work authentic and relatable, as it presented life in its raw, unfiltered form.
John Szarkowski was a legendary curator at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. He played a pivotal role in shaping the public’s understanding of photography as an art form. Szarkowski had a profound appreciation for Winogrand’s work, often highlighting its complexity and depth. In his book, Szarkowski provided insightful commentary on many photographers, including Winogrand, emphasizing their contributions to the medium.
Szarkowski described Winogrand’s photographs as being “richly complex in their description,” a testament to the photographer’s ability to handle the camera’s descriptive power. According to Szarkowski, the true challenge for photographers was to manage this complexity, making it coherent and aesthetically pleasing. This perspective was evident in his analysis of Winogrand’s “Untitled, c. 1962.”
Szarkowski’s reflections on Winogrand’s “Untitled, c. 1962” highlight the intricate balance between simplicity and complexity in photography. He wrote:
“Granted that simplicity is a virtue; beyond this, it is too complex a matter to generalize about with impunity. One might add with reasonable confidence that simple does not mean vacuous, obvious, plain, habitual, easy, formulated, banal, or empty.”
This statement underscores the nuanced approach required to achieve simplicity in photography. Szarkowski argued that simplicity in Winogrand’s work didn’t equate to lack of depth. Instead, it was about distilling the chaotic reality into something visually coherent and meaningful.
Winogrand’s photograph is a prime example of this balance. The image captures a seemingly ordinary moment—a couple at a zoo—but it’s full with suggestions and narrative potential. The couple’s posture, the interplay of light and shadow, and the presence of the animal enclosure all contribute to a scene rich in context and open to interpretation.
Szarkowski further elaborated:
“Consider Garry Winogrand’s picture: so rich in fact and suggestion, and so justly resolved; more complex and more beautiful than the movie that Alfred Hitchcock might derive from it.”
This comparison to Hitchcock is particularly telling. Just as Hitchcock’s films are known for their narrative complexity and visual style, Winogrand’s photograph encapsulates a story within a single frame, filled with ambiguity and potential narratives.
What do you think? Do you like Winogrand’s pictures?
References:
• Garry Winogrand - The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• MoMA
