SF MOMA

Exposed

When I first arrived at the "Exposed exhibit, I was expecting it to be a series of photographs framed and hung on the wall. I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of an endless montage of photo's the exhibit was a video featuring an interesting soundtrack and compelling photos. I really enjoyed the video. When people think of museums they think boring, silent and endless, this video was captivating and interesting to a wide range of people. The photos ranged from disturbing to sweet, but they were all interesting. They were almost equally black and white, or color, and the style ranged from a close up portrait, to an entire scene, or story told in a sequence of photos. I enjoyed this exhibit much more than I originally thought I would.

Cartier- Bresson

The Cartier-Bresson exhibit was much more traditional, a series of photos framed in white, set against white walls. I loved the photos but I would have enjoyed the experience much more if the backgrounds brought out the photos more. The fact that they were set in lines, against a white background really took away from the experience for me. There was nothing to draw the eye, especially because all of the photographs were taken in a vintage faded black and white. I really liked his ability to stand his ground while taking a photo. He didn't shy away from painful images, or manipulate them to make them more socially acceptable. I also liked the use of shadows and different shapes, and the way that he found shapes in people.