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Steve McCurry: India at Rubin Museum of Art, NYC
Highlights
In its first partnership with the International Center of Photography, the Rubin Museum of Art will present “Steve McCurry: India,” opening on November 18, 2015. The exhibition will showcase McCurry’s photographs of India in a museum for the first time, featuring a selection of 37 photographs of intriguing scenes of everyday life, including his early projects India by Rail and Monsoon. Many of the photographs on display are considered iconic in McCurry’s oeuvre, and some have never been seen by the public.
In its first partnership with the International Center of Photography, the Rubin Museum of Art will present “Steve McCurry: India,” opening on November 18, 2015. The exhibition will showcase McCurry’s photographs of India in a museum for the first time, featuring a selection of 37 photographs of intriguing scenes of everyday life, including his early projects India by Rail and Monsoon. Many of the photographs on display are considered iconic in McCurry’s oeuvre, and some have never been seen by the public.
Known for his aesthetically beautiful and memorable photographs that transcend language, cultural, and geographic barriers, Steve McCurry is a widely respected contemporary American photographer who has traveled extensively since the late 1970s to document major political and social events. His exceptional use of color and ability to connect with his subjects has resulted in photographs that have captivated viewers worldwide, such as the photograph of an Afghan refugee with piercing green eyes, Sharbat Gula (1984), also referred to as the Afghan Girl, considered one of the most iconic images of our time.
“Steve McCurry: India” focuses for the first time on a survey of McCurry’s photographs of India, a combination of portraits, landscapes, and documentary imagery that express his curiosity and commitment to capturing unexpected moments. The exhibition opens with images of spiritual life, as well as selections from the series India by Rail, which portray the movement and life surrounding the Indian Railway. Photographs from the Monsoon series depict India’s season of heavy storms that is also synonymous with life, passion, and celebration. Later works capture beautiful landscapes, historical sites, and the life of ordinary people in major cities and rural areas, representative of diverse regions of India. Objects from the Rubin Museum collection of Himalayan art will be thoughtfully selected to complement the photographs on view and to illustrate the connections between ancient and contemporary India.
“Steve McCurry’s first trip to India and neighboring countries in 1978 provided inspiration and subject matter that catapulted his career,” said Lia Zaaloff, co-curator of Steve McCurry: India, and former Assistant Curator, Photography at the Rubin Museum of Art. “This selection of photographs, spanning over three decades, is representative of McCurry’s insightful portrayal of everyday Indian life.”
“The fields of photography and photojournalism have been permanently shaped by McCurry’s vivid imagery and the universal themes represented in his work,” said Christopher Phillips, Senior Curator at the International Center of Photography. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Rubin Museum to present McCurry’s photographs to new audiences and showcase the importance of India to his impressive body of work.”
In addition to the photographs, which will all be printed in McCurry’s New York City studio, the exhibition will incorporate video interviews with prominent photographers and specialists on McCurry’s work and related themes. The audio guide for the exhibition will include commentary from McCurry himself, offering a deeper perspective on his process and his connections to India.
On November 18, the Rubin Museum will host McCurry for a ticketed public program, where he will discuss the impact that his imagery has had on current affairs as well as the personalities captured by his lens. McCurry has also selected eight films that have influenced the way he looks at light, color, form and narrative, for an upcoming series to be presented at the Rubin in January 2016.
Phaidon is scheduled to publish a book of Steve McCurry’s photographs of India in October 2015, which will accompany the exhibition.
Support of this exhibition has been provided by Phaidon and Contributors to the 2015 Exhibition Fund.
About Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry has been considered an iconic figure in contemporary photography for more than thirty years. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McCurry studied cinematography at Pennsylvania State University before going on to work as a photojournalist for a local newspaper. In 1978, McCurry made his first of what would become many trips to India. Traveling with little more than a bag of clothes and film, he made his way across the subcontinent, exploring the country through the lens of his camera.
After several months of travel in India he crossed the border into Pakistan. There, in Chitral, he met a group of refugees from Afghanistan who told him of the civil war and its grave effects in their homeland. Agreeing to document the civil war, McCurry, disguised in traditional clothes, crossed the border into Afghanistan in May 1979 – just a few months before the Soviet Union invaded the nation. He was among the first to photograph the brutality before and after the invasion.
Since then, McCurry has gone on to create unforgettable images in six continents and countless countries. His body of work spans conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions, and contemporary culture - yet always retains the human element.
McCurry has been recognized with many prestigious awards including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, National Press Photographers Award, and an unprecedented four first-prize awards from the World Press Photo contest among dozens of others. He became a member of Magnum Photos in 1986.
About the Rubin Museum of Art
The Rubin Museum of Art is an arts oasis and cultural hub in New York City’s vibrant Chelsea neighborhood that inspires visitors to make powerful connections between contemporary life and the art and ideas of the Himalayas, India, and neighboring regions. With a diverse array of thought-provoking exhibitions and programs—including films, concerts, and on-stage conversations—the Rubin provides immersive experiences that encourage personal discoveries and spark new ways of seeing the world. Emphasizing cross-cultural connections, the Rubin is a space to contemplate the big questions that extend across history and span human cultures.
The Rubin Museum’s preeminent collection includes over 3,200 objects spanning more than 1,500 years to the present day. Included are works of art of great quality and depth from the Tibetan plateau, with examples from surrounding regions including Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Mongolia.
About the International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography (ICP) is the world’s leading institution dedicated to the practice and understanding of photography and the reproduced image in all its forms. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and community outreach, ICP offers an open forum for dialogue about the role images play in our culture.
Since its founding, ICP has presented more than 700 exhibitions and offered thousands of classes, providing instruction at every level. ICP is a center where photographers and artists, students and scholars can create and interpret the world of the image within comprehensive educational and archival facilities. Visit www.icp.org for more information.
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