The curiosity with which humans observe each other is insatiable. This exhibition brings this presumably universal characteristic into focus showcasing treasures of the Federal Photography Collection. Artists Renate Bertlmann, Lillian Birnbaum, Paul Kranzler, Friedl Kubelka, and others.
The portrait, a key theme in the work of photography’s pioneers, is more popular than ever in the digital era. When we capture others’ faces and our own and post and share the results across our social networks, these pictures speak to an essential human characteristic – the curiosity with which we observe one another. They illustrate our own histories on several levels. Photographs of individuals and types reflect social conventions; posed pictures invite conjectures concerning the identity and individuality of the sitters and the intentions of the photographers. The encounter with a human face is intimately bound up with unexpected, novel, and personal experiences.
