Josef Koudelka, Gypsies, Czecholslavakia, 1966
The Art Institute of Chicago
Galleries 182–184, 188
Saturday, June 7, 2014–Sunday, September 14, 2014
On view currently at the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the most comprehensive examinations of the street photography of one of the most important living photographers. Josef Koudelka (b. 1938) was born at the inception of the 2nd World War. He captured some of the most iconic mid 20th century images that illustrate the political and social upheaval developing in eastern Europe.
Koudelka’s most iconic work is often identified as “Invasion”, an adept documentary series that captures the 1968 Russian invasion of Prague, Czecholslavakia. However, I find his series “Gypsies” (1975) and “Exiles” (1988) to speak more specifically to our present state of affairs. Our society feels to be in transition; our identity appears fleeting due to our often forgetting about the important ‘little’ things. Presented in these series are a collection of photographs of ‘travelers’ (Roma families often living on the fringes of society) seeking only a simple existence. These black-and-white photographs of the transient populations best describe humanity through celebration, music, dance, work, and other quotidian day-to-day activities. Though it is evident these people led difficult hard lives, these photographs demonstrate that love and family were omnipresent.
For additional information, please visit:
http://www.artic.edu/exhibition/josef-koudelka-nationality-doubtful
Review by Chester Alamo-Costello
