Accession Number
1981/2.65.4

Title
New York City

Artist(s)
Garry Winogrand

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1967; printed 1978

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
9 1/16 in x 13 7/16 in (23.02 cm x 34.13 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Stanley T. Lesser, A.B. 1951, J.D. 1953

Label copy
In this image, Winogrand shows two women dressed in white in conversation with another figure. Facing the camera, the two women are framed by dark elements, the shadow of the doorway on the right and the figure in the foreground to whom they are speaking. The compression of their visual space acts to cut them off psychologically from the woman approaching at the left. As the artist said of his works, “The photograph isn’t what was photographed. It is something else. It’s a new fact.”
Carole McNamara, Assistant Director for Collections & Exhibitions
on the occasion of the exhibition New York Observed: The Mythology of the City
(July 13 – September 22, 2003)

Subject matter
In this photograph, two women dressed in white dresses and scarves lean against the wall of a city building. Looking forward, they appear to be in conversation with another figure with his or her back turned to the camera.  One woman’s face is serious, her gaze intent and listening, while her colleague appears lost in thought, her brow furrowed and a slight smile on her face.  The two women are framed by dark elements, the shadow of the doorway on the right and the figure in the foreground to whom they are speaking. The compression of their visual space acts to cut them off psychologically from the woman approaching at the left. Created looking over the shoulder of the figure to whom the women listen, this photograph reveals a glimpse into the intimacy of their interaction.

Physical Description
This photograph shows two women dressed in white leaning against the wall of a city building.  They appear to be listening to a third figure whose back is to the camera.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Figures
dresses (garments)
groups
historical figures
journalistic photography
modern and contemporary art
pedestrians
portfolios
street scenes
urban environments
women (female humans)