In and Out of the Studio: Photgraphic Portraits from West Africa is an exhibit in the MET showcased conservatively with nothing too unique as far as presentation of the photos go. Small prints spaced evenly next to eachother against a white wall make the viewer concentrate on the photos themselves rather than on distractions that might be created in a more contemporary presentation. There is a lot of foot traffic in the Met and so the audience of these photos was diverse when I went to view it. Tourists exploring the museum found there way to the exhibition as well as people that might have an interest in photography who were very close to the photos to individually interpret their meanings and observe them. The photos in the exhibit are not by one specific photographer but are a collection of photos from over a hundred years.
This exhibit was very specific in its catagory and subject of the photos. The photos in the show pertained of portraits of Africans from all over the world. The portraits themselves are unique because they are not just shots of people from the head up and the backrounds give them depth and mystery. The portraits in the exhibit show these individuals in what seems to be their normal settings or in the middle of their daily routine. Generally speaking there is a lot of emotion in the facial expressions in these photos which gives the people that are photographed a story that is untold. They might be going through a struggle of some sort which makes the photos interesting to look at and give speculation to this emotion.
Although the dramatic facial expressions in the portraits gave a sense of wonder the photo that stood out for me was J.D. Okhai Ojeikere “untitled (Mkpuk Eba)” 1974. Instead of photographing the face of this woman the photographer chose to concentrate on the back of her head and focusing on the woman’s hair. Her hair makes for an interesting picture because of her unique hairdo which adds pattern to the photo. Leading lines are created in her scalp naturally. There are also people in the backround which are out of focus with interesting hairstyles. This monochromatic image is dramatic and shows a woman embracing her natural hairstyle.
This exhibit deals with Portraits of Africans inside and outside of Africa just as the name suggests. The photos are from around the 1870s to the 1970s and are black and white. They make a commentary on race and peoples identities. The photographers that took these photos traveled all over the world to take these portraits of normal people to showcase their lives and emotion.
You observed the exhibit carefully and I am glad that you noted the time period covered. The photographers are from West Africa and they are photographing West Africans. This yields exactly what you state photographs of individuals in their normal settings.