Urban Lens: Photography Captures City's Soul

The Dulwich Picture Gallery hosts its second-ever photography exhibition, a contemplative show examining the development of the modern urban environment and photography's evolving language. This exhibition focuses on era-defining 20th-century photographers who captured American cities, beginning with pioneers like Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen.

It presents iconic works from the DNB Savings Bank Foundation's collection, including Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" and Lewis Hine's portrait of an Empire State Building ironworker. Photographers such as Ilse Bing, Mary Ellen Mark, Diane Arbus, and Saul Leiter are featured, showcasing their distinct urban perspectives.

Short films offer alternative views, such as footage of the White Angel soup kitchen contrasting with Lange's photograph. Many artists, trained as painters, brought a keen eye for composition and light, as seen in Aaron Siskind's "Harlem Document." The exhibition progresses through themes of urban optimism to more sinister depictions of solitude against city immensity.

Later sections delve into the city's nocturnal tensions, with Weegee's sensationalist snapshots of New York after dark. Roy DeCarava's "Hallway" offers a stark, claustrophobic vision of Harlem tenement life, emphasizing the expressive power of shadow and light. The exhibition concludes by highlighting the diverse experiences of urban life, from the 1960s and 70s to Bruce Davidson's 1980s subway images, reflecting the ongoing, dynamic nature of the city.