Effective Portrayal

Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1903, Walker Evans was one of the most effective photographers of his time. He portrayed his personal feelings, thoughts, and perhaps aspirations through the lens of an 8x10-inch camera. Evans' images from the Great Depression era tell the story of struggle in the south amongst honest and hard working families trying to make do with what little they had. I believe Evans was trying to portray to all of America, and possibly the rest of the world the hardship people in the south were enduring during this era, and he did so very effectively. "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" respectfully depicts the faces, poverty stricken lifestyles, and overall despair of the lives in Hale County Alabama during 1936. Walker Evans was somewhat of an innovator of his time, in that he was one of the first photographers to gain recognition for previous documentations of unedited, unaltered real life in America. Though it was not ideal, nor considered appropriate during the time of recorded evidence, Evans felt compelled to share his prospective with the rest of the world. Interestingly, many modern photographers have successfully taken mind-provoking images since then, during time of privation and absence of hope.

I found the exhibition to be very worth-while, if nothing else moving. I find it difficult to say I enjoyed seeing constrained effort on the faces of starving children through Walker's photos. However, I can understand that the importance in this kind of exposure far exceeds any concern Evans' may have had regarding the viewer's comfort level. I am glad Walker Evans felt compelled to share his experience, visually, in Hale County Alabama, with others, who may have been doomed ignorant.

Ultimately, and somewhat coincidentally, our present economy has come closest to the horrific times documented by Evans during the 1930's Great Depression than any other era previous. In this time, I have noticed modern photographers conforming to similar concepts seen in Walker Evans' photographs. Shown are people with look of defeat and turmoil upon their face, hoping to find a job, waiting for things to get better, and striving to provide for their family. And as time passes, and America endures yet another recession, photographers of the era will then too, document the hardship. For this reason I believe there will always be some sort of comparison and/or similarity between any artist and their unaltered documentation of people going through any lifestyle restraint.

Sources:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsahtml/fachap04.html

http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Evans_Walker.html

Amy Blair