W. EUGENE SMITH

Born in Wichita, Kansas, on December 30, 1918,  W. Eugene Smith was famous for his extraordinary skills in visual storytelling. He always captured the most tragic moment which makes viewers feel empathy for the character or the situation easily.  Growing up, Eugene Smith was obsessed with Aeronautical Engineering. At the age of 14, he asked his mom, an amateur photographer, for a photo of airplanes. Instead of buying him the photo, Smith’s mom lent him her camera, which is the beginning of his life with photography. After quitting the university he worked for several magazines such as Newsweek, Life, and later Magnum Photos. His famous works include War photography between 1943 and 1945, “The Walk to Paradise Garden” in 1946, “Country Doctors” in 1948, “Spanish Village” in 1950, “Haiti “in 1959, and Minamata Disease between 1971 and 1972. 

  

 

 

 

 

“perhaps the single most important American photographer in the development of the editorial photo essay.“

                                                                                                                                                                                         ——Sean O’Hagan

 

 

 

In 1943, Smith went to the front lines in the Pacific theater of World War II, and start to work as a war correspondent for Life magazine. His work in this period solidly recorded tragedy on battlefields and reveal the cruelty of war.

 

“……I want my pictures to carry some message against the greed, the stupidity, and the intolerances that cause these wars and the breaking of many bodies.”

                                                                                                                                                                            —-W. Eugene Smith

Smith went back to New York in 1945 because he was seriously injured. After a year of recovery, he took “The Walk to the Paradise .” This work is one of the best-known photography of the century.

Country Doctor, 1948

 

Spanish Village, 1950

 

Haiti, 1959

Minamata Disease, 1972

 

PowerPoint for the presentation:

· https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KlOQ1kncWKpZHtlgqPn3lUTYjEwbZTmC/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110366350070813945563&rtpof=true&sd=true

 

Sources:

· https://www.life.com/history/eugene-smith-battle-of-saipan/

· https://www.magnumphotos.com/newsroom/pacific-war-1942-1945/

· https://www.magnumphotos.com/newsroom/health/w-eugene-smith-minamata-warning-to-the-world/

· https://www.artsy.net/artwork/w-eugene-smith-the-wake-spanish-village