Takeaways from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Face to Face: Portraits of Artists Exhibit

Well here is something unusual; I actually was able to go to a photographic exhibit I wanted to see before having to rush to get to it just before it was ready to close. Ok this doesn’t always happen, but it happens enough. I drove into Philadelphia last weekend to make some photographs and see the newly opened exhibit Face to Face: Portraits of Artists.  It took forever to drive the roughly 40 miles from my house to the museum. About another fifteen minutes or so and I could have driven to Coney Island at more than twice the distance!  But it was well worth the effort. Not only did I get to see the newly opened show, but I also made what I hope were some good photographs on the massive staircase leading up to museum entrance.  I’ve hung out at this spot several times and there’s always something of interest going on that seems worth photographing.

Once I was satisfied with what I got I strolled into the Museum. What I didn’t realize was this was the day of the month when people can visit the museum at no charge. Packed, but the crowds failed to distract me from the more than 100 wonderful images of famous American artists, writers and musicians going back 150 years.

What a show!  Arnold Newman, Man Ray, Irving Penn, Lee Friedlander, Alfred Stieglitz, Richard Avedon, Paul Strand, Jill Krementz, Dorothy Norman, Bert Stern, Carl Van Vechten and Ansel Adams. I am sure I missed a few, but you get the picture (sorry … I couldn’t resist!).  All in all, not a bad line up!

A few out of the many that stood out for me were Billie Holiday with Her Dog, Misterby Carl Van Vechten, Alfred Stieglitz at an American Place, New York City, 1944by Ansel Adams, Georgia O’Keefe, 1918by Alfred Stieglitz, and George Biddle Painting a Portrait of Man Rayby Man Ray. Then there was a fantastic grouping of portraits of famous members of the Harlem Renaissance by Van Vechten. Fanstastic!

So here are a few takeaways. All but one image was black and white. Yes I know color film was not widely available until after WWII but you get the picture (sorry … again). Most of the images were no larger than 8×10. Some were 11×14 but nothing overly large. Finally, in terms of composition, most of the subjects were placed on one side of the image, or at a minimum off center or leaning into the center.  These takeaways served as a valuable affirmation for me of my own feelings concerning our medium, and how we should compose and present our work.

All in all a very worthwhile show if you live near or are planning to be in the Philadelphia area!  Face to Face: Portraits of Artists runs to until October 14th.

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