Discuss an Andre Kertesz Photograph

[SuzanneR]

A favorite of mine.

Central Park, NY
April 3, 1965

I love this photograph for few simple reasons, but would like to hear your thoughts on it, too.

[Nicole]

Hi Suzanne, I find it playful and energetic. It actually exhausts me somewhat by the amount of energy. The rabbit figure is what really fascinates me - and noone's looking at him. My eye wonders around the image also taking in the lady in the top right corner looking at (is it a dog?) busying himself. What is the dog actually doing? The kid coming down the slide with the tones of the metal is captivating, imo the only peaceful part of the image.

[Ian Grant]

This is a Kertesz image I've never seen before, either published or at exhibitions of his work.

To me the image is too busy and not typical of the simpler images I've seen of his before. Normally I only hang photographs in my home but I do have a Paris Exhibition poster of one of Kertesz NY park images.

I don't dislike this particular image, but to me it looks more like a Bresson. Moving to the Aegean I've only been able to bring a few books so far (airline weight restriction) but my first choice was one of Andre Kertesz's work.

I've been lucky to see three major exhibitions of his work, two were of modern enlargements but the highlight was original contemporary prints made at the time 30's -60's, much smaller prints but jewel like and sparkling with a glowing quality, unlike the much later enlargements.

What's interesting is how different people respond to the same image.

Ian

[David H. Bebbington]

The perfect synthesis of observation and anticipation - the placing of the figures is masterly.

Regards,

David

[Videbaek]

Haven't seen this one before either. Great fun, wouldn't have thought it a Kertesz. Works with photography's greatest strength, the "thereness" of a picture. The key to it was catching the child at the moment of plopping out of the tube at the bottom -- without this, not much.

[Gay Larson]

I think it is an image most people could relate to. It is complex yet fun and what I like most is it would be hard to date from the last 50 years. It could be today. There is something so pleasant about it. It makes me think of when I was a kid and life was so fun and simple. I do like the rabbit, straight out of Alice in Wonderland. I think the rabbit may be a statue as it seems to be attached to a base of some sort, which could be why no one is paying much attention to it.

[Ian Grant]

When I first replied I overlooked something, I thought it but didn't write it.

This images is fundamentally about kids at play. Now as such its a good image but I'm not a family man, and it really doesn't evoke any emotions, so I see it as a good image but very definitely not a great image and I also I have problems relating it with the rest of the Kertesz work I already know.

I made a point of having a good look through a book of Kertesz's images earlier before I replied, to me this image just isn't Kertesz at his best. I'll ask my wife what she thinks

Ian

[pentaxuser]

Kids at play are a bit like ants or bees. At first glance they appear to be a group whose actions are unconnected but there's cohesion and concerted action there. The photographer has caught this as well as posing a couple of questions. What's the woman in the background doing? She seems to have a sense of urgency and appears to be running but is she and why?

Why is there a female in the bunny outfit there? Then you notice one kid who is the only one in dark clothes who seems to be a little more detached but is he out of the loop or in fact overseeing things?

The best photos ask questions or pose questions and create conversations. This does that.

pentaxuser

[Black Dog]

HCB quite rightly said " we all owe something to Kertesz"-he looked at things we see and pass by everyday and sprinkled a little magic of his own on them. He remained a true visionary throughout his life but hasn't always recieved his due.

[Shawn Dougherty]

I'm a fan or A.K. and hadn't seen this either. For me it tells a somewhat cryptic yet universal story or life... from a representation of birth(girl at the bottom), children's imaginary world seemingly unseen by the supervising adults(the rabbit (also makes me think of Alice in Wonderland) and moving right through to old age at the top and all sectioned off into areas of the frame. Thanks for showing us this wonderful image. Shawn