Tribute to the Master

“Some people say my pictures are sad, some think they’re funny. Funny and sad, aren’t they really the same thing? They add up to normality.”——Elliott Erwitt

Elliott Erwitt was born in 1928 in France. When he was 11 years old, Erwitt immigrated to United States with his family and started his new life in New York. After that, he went back to Europe traveling and photographing in Italy and France, since then, his professional career was started.

I went to Jackson Fine Art with my friend this Thursday, on January 14, 2016, to see the exhibition of a photography master, which is Elliott Erwitt. I have to say that the silver hair and the big glasses on his face made him looks cute and kind, even reminded me with my grandpa. Of course, each of his work is good enough to be called masterpieces and most of them touched me a lot.

Elliott loves dog, since dogs are an essential part of his work. I love dogs as well, those pictures with dogs are so cute and funny, which shows me his special feeling to dogs. For example, there are four legs and a small dog in the picture, the small dog is wearing a sweater and a hat, besides those fours legs are two belong with a woman, the other two belong with another dog. Moreover, I remember there are two spotty dogs in a picture; both of them are wearing glasses.  

Elliott loves shooting people as well, he’s pictures looks different from others due to the special angle he use to view the world. For instance, one of my favorite is that, with the background of sea and sunset, there is one car’s reflector shows two lovers are kissing in the car. It’s totally different with just two people stand in front of the sea, hugging or kissing each other. Another one my favorite is a boy in a car and his right eye just place where the break window is. So that, it’s looks like the boys’ eye is broken! What an interesting picture it is!

Elliott believes that only black and white is the right way for photography. He has been taking pictures for his whole life and never loosing enthusiasm with his career. I respect his spirit of focus as well as his persistent belief.