Evans’ subway portrait series captures the raw emotion of people during the great depression. He wants us to feel or try to feel what these people are going through. Some images include a man reading a magazine or what seems to be doing a crossword puzzle. Another of a fellow looking up and around at the ads on the train. The way Evans is disguised with his camera under his jacket and takes portraits directly infant of these people, allows us to be Evans for that moment, reviewing the true skin of these people.
The subway is a very interesting place, that strangely shows the true being of people. As I take the train everyday, I generally tend to look around to how people are acting. For starters eyes contact with other is a NO, and people usually don’t talk to the person next to them. Most people today are focused on their phones, trying to pass time on their commute or others are napping. There is wide array of emotion shown on subway carts. Some people look happy others not so much.
The emotion shown in the subways today are the same from when Evans took photos of people during the great depression.
Evans captured individuals and couples that seemed distressed. People today also are distressed from work and personal matters, but there is always an occasional smile exchanged from one to another, or when there are showtime performers who dance.
