The Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga presents the temporary exhibition “Paul Strand. The pure beauty”, composed by 131 images of Paul Strand (New York, 1890 – Orgeval, France, 1976) from the funds of the Fundación MAPFRE. The exhibition, which can be visited in the temporary exhibition hall of the Museo Carmen Thyssen until 6 March, is curated by Carlos Gollonet.

The photographic exhibition allows visitors to explore the artistic trajectory of one of the most important figures in the history of photography. A disciple of Alfred Stieglitz, Strand is known for the sincerity of his landscapes and portraits, his unusual views and the perfection of his framing. Among his favourite subjects are landscapes, portraits, countries and geometry.

One of the most iconic works of this artist is Blind Woman (1916), a series of street portraits in which Strand experiments with «direct photography». The innovation within this portrait lies in the way it was taken; through a built-in camera with a false lens.

The exhibited images are arranged chronologically and are grouped into three sections. The exhibition route opens with the artist’s first snapshots, in which he focuses on the movement and activity of cities. In this first stage the visitor will discover the avant-garde photographer who was experimenting in New York with Cubism and abstraction and also stole portraits from people in the street.

The second section focuses on the maturity of the artist, when he makes many trips between America and Europe and approaches the landscapes and beauty of nature. During this period the artist also explores the field of cinema and documentaries.

After the end of the World War, Strand left the United States to settle in France, where his interest in social issues grew, and ended up experimenting with the narrative of cinematographic works.

In the final section of the travelling exhibition are exhibited the works of the photographic campaigns of the trips that Stand makes in Romania, Morocco, Egypt and Ghana.

Food for the Eyes.

Text: Iustinian Bolohan.

Photos: Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga / Fundación Mapfre. 

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