London’s David Hill Gallery in has reopened its doors with Boardwalks, Beaches and Boulevards, an exhibition dedicated to the monochrome work of American photographer Harold Feinstein.
Born in Coney Island in 1931, Feinstein left school to begin photographing at the age of 15 and became one of the most prominent figures in the New York City street photography scene. At the age of 19, Feinstein’s work was acquired for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Despite this early success, Feinstein’s collection of classic street photography, nudes, portraits and still life have seldom been exhibited, until very recently.
Feinstein was not a photographer who would stand back and observe, unnoticed by his subjects. It is the physical closeness, an extension of Feinstein’s profound connection to his subjects, that sets his work apart from other street photographers from the same period. Whether standing over a group of teenagers lying on a Coney Island beach, photographing a couple on the boulevard, or capturing the immutable gaze of a young child, intimacy and compassion sit at the core of each image.
Where his contemporaries – photographers like Diane Arbus, Walker Evans and Garry Winogrand – documented the plight of the human condition without their subjects’ awareness, Feinstein celebrated humanity with his subjects. From the glittering lights of Times Square, to the streets of Harlem; from the smoke-filled coffee shops to subway cars; from city stoops to crowded beaches, Feinstein’s desire to connect with the world around him and share the experiences he saw is evident in every composition.
Founded in 2015, David Hill Gallery shows both established and also lesser-known photographers, with an emphasis on previously unshown work.
When: On until 14th August 2020
Where: David Hill Gallery, 345 Ladbroke Grove, London W10 6HA
£: Admission by appointment
More info: www.davidhillgallery.net
Leave a comment