Archive for Portraits

Unseen, Unpublished Portraits

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , on April 19, 2011 by stevemccurry

 

  Chad

 

 

“A true portrait should today and a hundred years from today, be the testimony of how this person
looked and what kind of human being he or she was.”
– Philippe Halsman

 

 

 

 

Tibet

 

 

As human beings we are fascinated with each other and how we look. Diane Arbus talked about the gap between intention and effect as revealed in portraiture. People put on make-up and adorn themselves because they want to create an effect and give a certain impression, but often other people look at them and say it’s tragic or comical or curious or funny or odd.  Portraiture can be that kind of sharp critique.

 

 

 

Marrakech, Morocco

 

 

Tibet

 

 

Most of my portraits are not formal situations; they are found situations.

 

 

 

Tibet

 

We go to another culture to observe how other people live. Sometimes you look at somebody and they have a strong presence, a look, a certain kind of attribute that comes out in the face.

 

 

 

Cambodia

 

 

 

 

India

 

 

 

 

Burma/Myanmar

 

 

A good portrait is one that says something about the person.  We usually see parts of ourselves in others, so the good portrait should also say something about the human condition.

 

 

 

Kunduz, Afghanistan

 

 

 

Kabul, Afghanistan

 

 

 

Mumbai, India

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