5 To See: This Weekend

This week’s 5 To See includes key photographers who have used the cultural context of the late 20th century as a source of inspiration. Offering a global perspective on digital and societal changes, these exhibitions document the pivotal transitions of an era and their effect of society.

1) Albert Renger-Patzch, The Perspective of All Things, Fundación MAPFRE, Madrid.

Albert Renger-Patzsch (1897–1966) is considered one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century as a representative of German New Objectivity, a movement that emerged after the end of the First World War. These new wave artists strove to capture an objective account of the world. With 185 images and documentary material, this is one of the largest retrospectives of his work to date. Open until 10 September.

2) Larry Sultan, Here and Home, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Here and Home examines the career of internationally renowned photographer Larry Sultan (1946 – 2009). The event explores a 35-year career through more than 200 compositions, a series of billboards created with conceptual artist Mike Mandel, and an installation entitled Study Hall. The intensely personal images blend documentary and staged elements in their depictions of family life and domesticity. Works on view until 23 July include Sultan’s early collaborative projects of the 1970s, as well as his later work including Pictures from Home (1983–92), The Valley (1997–2003), and Homeland (2006–09)

3) Magnum Manifesto, International Centre for Photography, New York.

Magum Manifesto celebrates the 70th anniversary of the renowned agency Magnum Photos, created by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and David Seymour in 1947. Tracing the ideals behind the development of the legendary cooperative, curator Clément Chéroux, looks at the history of the 20th century through the lens of 75 masters, providing insightful perspectives on their contribution to the collective visual memory. Featuring group and individual projects, the exhibition includes over two hundred prints as well as books, magazines, videos, and rarely before seen archival documents. Open until 3 September.

4) Steven Pippin, Optical Aberration, Photo Gallery Centre Pompidou, Paris.

Steven Pippin, (b. 1960) works with converted or improvised photographic equipment and kinetic sculptures. His interest in the mechanical aspects of the form were propagated by the digital revolution. House Converted into a Pinhole Camera involves self-portraiture and the use of an everyday structure as a rudimentary pinhole camera. The ethereal effect produced by this negative image is increased by the blurred quality of the subject in the foreground – a result of his minute, involuntary movements during the photograph’s long exposure. Open until 11 September.

5) Neil Libbert, Michael Hoppen Gallery, London.

Neil Libbert’s (b. 1930) first major solo exhibition at the Michael Hoppen Gallery, London, has been extended until 11 August. The showcase focuses on the seminal pieces of his early career to include West Indian Arrivals, Waterloo Station, (1961) and Outside the Black-E Arts Centre, Liverpool, (1973). The images capture a radically changing world with huge compassion, ranging from the poverty of post-war Manchester to the energy of New York in the late 1960s.

Credits:
1. Neil Libbert, Outside the Black E Art Centre, Liverpool, 1973. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
2.Steven Pippin, Aberration Optique, 2017. Courtesy of Pinterest.
3.Alec Soth, Sleeping by the Mississippi, 2002. Courtesy of Magnum Photos.
4. Larry Sultan, Pictures From Home, 1982-1992. Courtesy of the artist.
5. Albert Renger-Patzch, Wamel Erzgebirge, Schneesturm (Ore Mountains, Snowstorm) 1938. Courtesy of Pinterest.