鈥淭here are ways of communicating our photographs other than through publication in magazines,鈥 writes Henri Cartier-Bresson. 鈥淓xhibitions, for instance; and the book form, which is almost a form of permanent exhibition.鈥 Originally included in the English translation of Henri Cartier-Bresson鈥檚 Images 脿 la Sauvette, published in France in 1952, these words reveal the photographer鈥檚 early interest the public reception and exhibition of his work. The book鈥檚 groundbreaking impact in the western world not only prompted a renewed interest in the photobook as a medium in its own right, it also contributed to elevating the artist to the mid-century photography icon that he is today.
No event could best embody his quote than the International Center of Photography鈥檚, New York, exhibition, named The Decisive Moment after its English translation. Revolving around a selection of 71 out of the 126 photographs originally featured in the print publication, the exhibition explores the origins of the project and pays homage to the book鈥檚 legacy. Letters and correspondence between Cartier-Bresson and some of his collaborators, including Henri Matisse, who designed the cover, bring fascinating insight into his creative process. Mimicking the book鈥檚 structure, the show opens with an excerpt from Cartier-Bresson鈥檚 English introduction; and similarly separates photographs of the East and West taken between 1932 and 1952, creating two distinct geographic sections within the museum space.
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Louis Soulard
Credits:
1.聽Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Decisive Moment (Simon & Schuster, 1952), p. 68, Truman Capote, New Orleans, United States, July 1946. 漏 Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos.聽
2.Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Decisive Moment (Simon & Schuster, 1952), p. 39, Behind the Gare St. Lazare, Place de l’Europe, Paris, France, 1932. 漏 Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos.聽
3.聽Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Decisive Moment (Simon & Schuster, 1952), p. 119-120, Rice Field, Sumatra, Indonesia, 1949. 漏 Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos.
