The Language of Vision: Early Twentieth-Century Photography

The Language of Vision: Early Twentieth-Century Photography brings together the work of four eminent artists from Telfair Museums’ permanent collection: Ralph Steiner, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Walker Evans, and Helen Levitt. Connected historically and often personally through artist social circles, their work shares key stylistic attributes that will be explored in the exhibition. These photographers made work during the first half of the 20th century when photography was still being questioned for its validity as an art form.

All four artists made strides in demonstrating that while mechanically made, their photographs reflected the subtle expressiveness of the particular individual. Subject matter depicted includes genre and street scenes, portraits, modern technology, and nature, among many others, revealing that these artists were on the forefront to capture the exciting and varied facets of the contemporary moment.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website