Jewish artist: Bruce Davidson, poet from the bowels of the city

Bruce Davidson poet from the bowels of the city

Bruce Davidson travelled the New York City underground lines from the Bronx to Coney Island and Rockaway Beach. This was after the financial crisis of the 1970s that decimated the city’s public programs and infrastructure. The underground was probably at its lowest point in terms of maintenance and upkeep, and crime was rampant.

The artist proves that he is not only one of the great photographers of the 20th century, but that he is very different from them. Equipping himself with a sample catalogue in order to become an image hunter, he captured photos in this way not without risk. As he says in an anecdote when he wants to take a young man with a scar: “Don’t take my picture or I’ll break your camera” said the man. “And I said, ‘No, no, I would never do it without your permission’ – which was a lie. So I showed him my album and he let me photograph it”.

Gradually, thanks to a lot of work on colour and the use of flash, this work has become an exceptional undertaking. Bruce Davidson is certainly a documentary filmmaker but above all a fantastic poet of the city and its holds.