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Volume CXXXIII, Number 14 |
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Photographs of children exhibited
DIANA HEALD
STAFF WRITER
The Bowdoin College Museum of Art has compiled an impressive and mesmerizing collection of photographs in one of its recently-opened temporary exhibitions, RSVP: Looking at Children. The exhibition showcases the works of such important and diverse photographers as Thomas Eakins, Wynn Bullock, Paul D'Amato, Sally Mann, and Roy DeCarava.
Several of the works in the show are quite striking. For example, DeCarava's Child in the Window, Clothesline, New York depicts a barely visible child gazing out the window of an apartment building, inviting the viewer to take a closer look at what at first appears to be a fairly uninteresting image. Ilse Bing's airy, beautiful Children, Steps of the Seine, Paris is a rare window into the everyday life of young children playing, while Paul D'Amato's Girl in the Rain, Chicago offers a bright and captivating picture of a girl in inner-city Chicago bathing in a flooded street.
Also notable are Wynn Bullock's renowned Child in the Forest, and Edouard Boubat's Jardin du Luxembourg, both of which appeared in The Family of Man, the Museum of Modern Art's famous and controversial 1955 photographic exhibition in New York.
The show also features a photograph by a Bowdoin graduate, Cecilia Hirsh '90, whose Dinner Table, July, was a valuable addition to the eclectic collection. The inclusion of her work alongside that of both current and less recent photographers creates a show that places different pieces from different contexts in an environment where together, they can be understood to a greater extent than they would alone.
Many of the photographs manage to simultaneously delight the viewer and foster thought about such universal issues as class, race, and, especially relevant in this case, the particular sexuality of preadolescents. In particular, Eakins's Portrait of Mary McDowell captures the image of a young girl on the verge of adolescence, giving the viewer access to what is often a very private and personal period.
The photographs are compelling in and of themselves, but what makes this exhibit so unique is its focus on their interpretation: many of the pictures are accompanied by commentary in various forms by members of the Bowdoin staff. It is fascinating to see how people interpret the provocative works based on their own experiences and ideas, and the insightful commentary of Bowdoin faculty and staff provides the audience with plenty of food for thought.
RSVP: Looking at Children is definitely worth seeing, whether one is interested in specific photographers or just photography in general. The juxtaposition of diverse and thought-provoking images and text makes this exhibit unique, so don't miss it. It will be showing in the 20th Century Gallery of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art until April 11.
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