ELLIOTT ERWITT
Elliott Erwitt was born in Paris in 1928 to a Russian family. He spent his childhood in Milan. In 1939, his family immigrated to the United States. In 1951, he was drafted into the Army, where he performed photographer's duties during his service in Germany and France. In New York, Erwitt met Edward Steichen, Robert Capa, and Roy Stryker, the former Director of the Farm Security Administration’s information division. Stryker initially hired Erwitt to work on a photography project for the Standard Oil Company, where he created a photo library for the company. Elliott also completed a project for the Pittsburgh Photographic Library. In 1953, Erwitt joined the team of Magnum Photos. He also worked as a freelance photographer for Collier’s, Look, LIFE, Holiday, and other famous publications. In the late 1960s, Erwitt became the president of Magnum Photos and held the position for three years. Despite regular criticism towards Erwitt and the use of such characterizations as ‘shallow’ or ‘frivolous’ regarding his work, he remains one of the most popular and sought-after photographers. His images have been published in at least 19 books and exhibited in museums all around the world. Erwitt was awarded the Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal and an honorary fellowship (HonFRPS) in 2002 in recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography. In 2011, he received the International Center for Photography’s Infinity Award for Lifetime Achievement.
PARIS, FRANCE (UMBRELLA JUMP). 1989
The time that Erwitt spent in Paris was captured in photographs made by this passionate observer. He has a keen eye for the city, inspects it for a long time, and examines both well-known Parisian streets and hidden architectural gems, preserving grandiose life scenes in intimate and humorous detail. The photograph ‘Umbrella Jump’ shows us the most romanticized tourist attraction of the world in the year of its 100th anniversary. At the foot of the tower, we see a man with an open umbrella jumping across a puddle with all his might in Trocadéro, his silhouette almost colliding with the silhouettes of two bystanders. This shot is a smart and respectful hint at the famous photograph ‘Behind the Gare St. Lazare’ by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Now Erwitt has made his own photo of an ‘amazing moment.’ He enchantingly conveyed romantic feelings in a black-and-white emotional image, where the reality of Paris can be seen with its rain, wind, fog, and, of course, people falling in love.
SANTA MONICA (CALIFORNIAN KISS). 1955
Just like his colleague Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt tries to capture the ‘decisive moment.’ His main distinction as a photographer is his passion for the humorous side of life. In this photograph he playfully captures a couple enjoying an intimate kiss in the reflection of a side-view mirror.
PROVENCE, FRANCE (BOY MATADORS). 1959
Colored photographs are very rare in Elliott Erwitt’s portfolio. This image was taken in 1959 in Provence, where the artist likes to return in the warm months. Erwitt enjoys walking around the town, capturing funny and touching scenes from people’s lives. The two boys, who are pretending to be cowboys in a rodeo, are very serious in their game and are not posing at all, thus letting the photographer take the funny shot.