In January, the International Center of Photography will hold an exhibition of Robert Capa’s color photographs, a little-known aspect of the photographer’s legendary body of work.
The photographs are indeed rare, but what’s most interesting is the way the agency has seized the opportunity to define its role on the international photo scene with the project “Get Closer,” inspired by the Magnum founder’s famous motto, “If you’re pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”
The idea is to spark a historical and aesthetic dialogue through 100 classic Robert Capa photographs, which are exhibited alongside the work of 100 living photographers. Each photograph will “respond” to Capa’s work in terms of composition, subject matter, details, context or intention. Each pair of photographs is available online, with a new one added daily until the exhibition opens.
Touching, shocking, provocative, disturbing or intimate, each image reveals the relationship between the different photographers and their subjects, and the context is not exclusively journalistic. Among the participants are masters of documentary, Magnum members and otherwise, as well as conceptual artists like Thomas Ruff and Thomas Hirschhorn.
What’s remarkable is the diversity of style on display. This project demonstrates the variety of approaches at an agency that has, since its creation, constantly expanded the language of photography, even going so far as to invite controversial figures into its prestigious circle. The project also has a participatory aspect: internet users are invited to publish their own photographic responses to the work of Robert Capa, who was renowned both for his talents as a war photographer and his powers of seduction, which is another essential skill in the profession, perhaps more than ever, given the new economic paradigm.
http://getcloser.magnumphotos.com/
http://www.magnumphotos.com/
People can contribute to the project by uploading a response photo of their own on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #GetCloser100
