Museum of
Modern Art (MoMA), Midtown West Until
May 2 2020
Toward the
end of her life, Dorothea Lange (1895–1965) reflected, “All photographs—not
only those that are so called 'documentary’...can be fortified by words.” A
committed social observer, Lange paid sharp attention to the human condition,
conveying stories of everyday life through her photographs and the voices they
drew in. Dorothea Lange: Words & Pictures, the first major MoMA exhibition
of Lange’s in 50 years, brings iconic works from the collection together with
less seen photographs—from early street photography to projects on criminal
justice reform. The work’s complex relationships to words show Lange’s interest
in art’s power to deliver public awareness and to connect to intimate
narratives in the world.
In her
landmark 1939 photobook An American Exodus—a central focus of the show—Lange
experiments with combining words and pictures to convey the human impact of
Dust Bowl migration. Conceived in collaboration with her husband, agricultural
economist Paul Taylor, the book weaves together field notes, folk song lyrics,
newspaper excerpts, and observations from contemporary sociologists. These are
accompanied by a chorus of first-person quotations from the sharecroppers,
displaced families, and migrant workers at the center of her pictures.
Presenting Lange’s work in its diverse contexts—photobooks, Depression-era
government reports, newspapers, magazines, poems—along with the voices of
contemporary artists, writers, and thinkers, the exhibition offers a more
nuanced understanding of Lange’s vocation, and new means for considering words
and pictures today.
Organized
by Sarah Meister, Curator, with River Bullock, Beaumont and Nancy Newhall
Curatorial Fellow, assisted by Madeline Weisburg, Modern Women’s Fund 12-Month
Intern, Department of Photography.