September 22, 2016–January 15, 2017
Avenida del Litoral 30
08005 Barcelona
Spain
T +34 932 71 31 80
infokbr@fundacionmapfre.org
After passing through Barcelona, Fundación MAPFRE presents in Madrid the first retrospective exhibition in Spain on the work of Bruce Davidson, one of the leading exponents of humanist photography and member of the Magnum agency.
The exhibition offers an overview of the artist’s entire career, more than 50 years of continuous work, and presents some of his most renowned series, such as “Brooklyn Gang,” “East 100th Street” and “Time of Change: Civil Rights Movement.” Also included in the selection are his latest works, “Nature of Paris” and “Nature of Los Angeles.”
Bruce Davidson set out on what was to become a passionate relationship with photography at a very young age. More than responding to a specific style, his work is characterized by a personal vision of reality that manifests itself in his art, not so much in the individual images as in the effect produced by the reiteration and juxtaposition of themes and characters. The spectator shares an intimacy with them that is made accessible through Davidson’s charismatic presence, allowing him to reap the trust of the people being portrayed and easily gain access to their lives, even when dealing with controversial subjects. His work is therefore the reflection of an ethical commitment towards the harsh realities and the precarious and vulnerable environments in which the daily existence of the people being photographed unfolds.
The catalog that accompanies the exhibition offers featured texts by freelance curator and photography expert Charlotte Cotton; Frits Gierstberg, conservator of the Nederlands Fotomuseum; Francesco Zanot, conservator of CAMERA in Turin; Teresa Kroemer; and curator Carlos Gollonet, conservator of photography for Fundación MAPFRE. It is available in Catalan, Spanish and English editions, the latter published jointly with Aperture.
After the closing in Madrid, the exhibition will begin its international tour: CAMERA, Centro Italiano per la Fotografía (Turin, Italy), Nederlands Fotomuseum (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and Sala Rekalde (Bilbao, Spain).
The Bruce Davidson exhibition and its international tour have been made possible by the support of TERRA Foundation for American Art.
