Framing Community: Magnum Photos, 1947 - Present

Description

Founded in 1947 on the basis of the spirit of humanism , the Magnum ph oto agen cy has mostly focused its gaze on a wor ld in times of unrest, collapsing social structures and polarisi n g p oliti cs . This volume is being published to mark the 70 th birthday of th e agency . W ith a selection of iconic pictures f ro m the archive of the agency , it illuminates another of the basic pil lars upon which Magnum rests : community . The community is marked by conflicts and ruptures, and yet we cling to the sometimes n ostalgi c - seeming idea of the harmoni ous coexistence of man. All this is shown in the world - famous photos from the M agnum a rchi v e - from pictures of dramati c events of world history to quiet , private insights into our daily lives . Over 100 photos from the past 70 years have been selected f or this volume . They are pictures which belong to our c olle c tive memory and which testify to the power of photography . They all illustrate the basic aim of Magnum : to create influential works which enlighten and help to create a better world .

Maria Antonella Pelizzari is professor of the history of photography at Hunter College, CUNY, and the author, most recently, of Photography and Italy.

"The catalog presents an interesting arrangement of artists and themes, prompting the reader to consider the work of the artists beyond a merely chronological continuum. . . . A worthy addition for any library that collects in the area of photography." -- "ARLIS/NA"