The new temporary exhibition “Street Life. Lisette Model and Helen Levitt in New York” brings together, in the ArteSonado Space of the Carmen Thyssen Museum, through twenty shots from the 1940s, the production of two contemporary designers.
Model and Levitt draw an original portrait of the city of NYC
The photographs of Lisette Model and Helen Levitt make New York and its anonymous inhabitants the main motif of their production. Both present a repertoire that testifies to a humanist and emotional look at the city, where the daily aspects and humble acquire a surprising value.
Traveling through New York’s working-class neighborhoods with their cameras, Model and Levitt paint an original portrait of the city, which appears through the life that unfolds in its streets and which, free from any social criticism, reflects a point of view different, direct and honest.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga wishes to highlight the work of two important women photographers, pioneers and exceptional representatives of American street photography, authors of images of great modernity. and of high quality
In addition to the twenty shots, the exhibition includes the short film In the Street de 1948, which depicts life in New York’s Spanish Harlem and which Levitt herself directed in collaboration with filmmaker Janice Loeb and critic James Agee. As Lourdes Moreno, artistic director of the Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga points out, these are images of great modernity. This exhibition presents works from the collections of the Mapfre Foundation.
Two remarkable photographers
Lisette Model (1901-1983)
This Austrian who lived in New York, has become a remarkable author of direct photographs in the street and in bars, cafes and cabarets, whose images surprise the viewer with their daring framing and their short shots.
Helen Levitt (1913-2009)
She was one of the main exponents of American Street Photography and focused her photographs of the streets of New York on the carelessness and joy of children’s games.
You can consult here 👉 the exhibition catalog
First exhibition at the Espacio ArteSonado
Street Life. Lisette Model and Helen Levitt in New York” is the first independent exhibition installed in the Espacio ArteSonado, a new space for developing small format projects.
Access to the Espacio ArteSonado is through the first floor of the main courtyard of the Palacio de Villalón, a building dating from the 16th century. The hall consists of two rooms: an old tower and what may have been the palace’s private chapel, both covered with coffered ceilings decorated with lacework and stars.
This exhibition of urban photography, which brings together twenty images from the collections of the Mapfre Foundation, can be visited until June 11.
