As a couple entered the gallery, I heard the assistant explain what the exhibition contained: photographs by Weegee of New York, Robert Doisneau of Paris and Jimmy Forsyth of Scotswood Road, Newcastle. One of the visitors exclaimed, “New York, Paris and Scotchy Road…three great places together!” I suspect this was said only partially with tongue in cheek and detected a sense of pride that Newcastle, and the work of local amateur photographer, Jimmy Forsyth was being shown alongside renowned and famous images made by Weegee and Doisneau. Indeed, the juxtaposition of the work of these photographers invited appreciation of the similarities in their output such as their shared tenacity and drive to make photographs and focus on a particular geographical area for much of their careers. The differences are also apparent – Weegee stalked the streets of New York by night using a police radio to photograph crime scenes, often arriving before the police themselves. (The nickname Weegee derives from Ouija board as his ability to be in the right place at the right time appeared supernatural.) Doisneau focused on the everyday, seeking to shed light on those who are never in the limelight. His images are rich in poetic social realism however, and have become synonymous with our romantic notions of Paris. (For example ‘The Kiss by the Hotel de Ville‘, which despite controversial revelations that it was staged, remains iconic and full of youth, vigour, romance – and is quintessentially French.) Unlike Weegee and Doisneau, Jimmy Forsyth was an amateur who took up photography as a hobby following an industrial accident that made it difficult for him to find work. As part of the Scotswood Road community, he was able to document with both insight and intimacy the area and people at a point of change as buildings were demolished to make way for high rise flats. The exhibition notes quote Forsyth:
“When you’re taking a photograph, you’re recording something that will never happen again, catching a moment in time. I was just capturing what I knew was going to disappear…I realised someone should make a record of what was left of the community. I had nothing to do; why not make a record of Scottie Road to pass the time? It would show future generations what we looked like and how we lived.”
A number of thoughts run through my head about this exhibition. Firstly, this is work that could not be made today. In their own ways these photographers were separated from the people they photographed simply by owning a camera and making images. This meant that the photographs they made have a rarity that would not be possible now when virtually everyone has a camera in their pocket. The website Atelier Robert Doisneau declares his photo archive contains around 450 000 images, a figure that seems impressively large and unwieldy until you consider how many digital images are made on a daily, even hourly basis. Given time (and nostalgia is an important part of the power of each of the bodies of work by the photographers shown in the exhibition) these images from today could become just as important as the images shown in the exhibition-the question is how will anyone be able to make sense of massive digital archives in the future?
There is a strong argument to be made that the work of amateur Jimmy Forsyth is of equivalent importance to that of Doisneau and Weegee. In fact, in some ways it surpasses it – Forsyth not only photographed a particular geographical area and he was also part of the community which gives his photographs an intimacy, and most importantly, authenticity that arguably makes them more relevant than the work of Doisneau and Weegee. Yes, individually the two professionals may have better single images, but, I would argue Forsyth edges them when his output is considered a body of work in itself. Which brings me back to my first point – Jimmy Forsyth’s work is rare because he was one of the few people in his area at his time with a camera, and rarer still that he spent his time photographing everyday life in a way that others would not have done. This is not the case today, everyone is now a photographer and to not record our everyday life through photography would make us an outlier. Does this mean that this type of street photography has had its day? The intent of the photographer remains all important, but without the endorsement of a gatekeeper within photography it is unlikely that work would reach an audience.
Often I leave an exhibition feeling invigorated, motivated and inspired, I left Classic Street Style with more questions than I feel I can process at the minute. Perhaps this is due to some concerns I have currently about what photography means in the 21st century and what, if anything, I have to contribute.
