I visited The Art Institute of Boston, part of Lesley College, this week, to view an exhibit of photographs entitled "101 Photos for Press Freedom". The show is a collection of outstanding examples of photojournalism by members of Magnum Photos. Founded in 1947, Magnum Photos is an organization of over 80 of the worlds most renowned press photographers.
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According to co-founder Henri Cartier-Bresson, "Magnum is a community of thought, a shared human quality, a curiosity about what is going on in the world, a respect for what is going on and a desire to transcribe it visually."
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This exhibition has been put together, along with a book of the same name, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Reporters Without Borders, an international advocate group that promotes freedom of the press.
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The photographs are simply displayed, reminding the viewer that although exhibited as art, these images also have another & perhaps higher purpose.
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The collection, as a whole, tells a story of the world we live in, our cultural differences, our history, our collective memories. Many of the photographs are endearing glimpses of other worlds.
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While others are violent, reminding us of the bravery of these photographers, putting themselves in harms way to capture images that would otherwise go unobserved by the world.
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Many of the photographs are familiar, images we have seen before in news papers or magazines.
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After viewing this exhibit, one can not help but come away with a renewed respect for photojournalism & the men & women of the profession, that bring the world to us.
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These images tell the stories of our lives, & one is made aware of how lacking our lives would have been without them.