Henri Carteir-Bresson: The Man Behind the Lens

Martin Munkacsi Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika Henri Cartier-Bresson FRANCE. Ile-de-France. Yvelines. 1955

Acclaimed as a surrealist, his early work did achieve the intentions of the surrealist movement. The objective of surrealism is to capture the unexpected chances and juxtapositions in reality to create symbolic or significant imagery. His later and more mature images differed on a fundamental level from the intent of true surrealism. There was a more natural harmony in all of the parts in regard to one another. The decisive moment is the moment of subconscious equilibrium, not the mere improbability of chance presenting the desired result. He liked to refer to these moments as an encounter with reality and he rarely left things to sheer chance because as an artist he was in control. The ability to predict light – sun and shade, bright or dark – to anticipate movement – of people or nature – and to control what events at which he chose to be present, all lend that aspect of innate manipulation to the final outcome.

In beginning of his foray into photography, he would wander the streets with his camera, ready to seize the image of the world in its actual state of transformation and change. This was the first experience of his in the world of photojournalism. It was also the beginning of the way in which he revolutionized photojournalism practice. He did not start out photographing in his native land of France; rather he traveled to Berlin, Brussels, Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, Madrid and a short time later in the United States. The earlier years of his career were not assigned, there was no direct intention, and this freedom led him to just follow any whim and to photograph was interested him in purely ascetic terms. Generally, he chose to document the commoners, the poor and hardworking, the average Joe of the era. Perhaps they were more open or maybe because of their struggles there was a more human nature to their characters, but in any case this was Cartier-Bresson’s main subject originally.

After his experiences on the battlefield and being held as a prisoner of war for 35 months, the focus of his photography shifted. Though it was less of an actual shift and more of a general broadening of his social range and subject matter. Despite these changes, he never moved away from his interest in human behavior and the irreplaceable manifestation of an individual’s character. In his photos one can see with ease man and woman, young and old, rich and poor, powerful and weak, individuality and conformity, singular and group, group and crowd, but Cartier-Bresson makes it each viewer’s assignment to sort out the deeper message: of good or evil, of sorrow or joy, of contentment or restlessness.
It was also around this time that instead of narrating the human behaviors in photography, he started recording history. It was a new challenge. All it took was an instant. The vision and truth of each situation is grasped through an innate ability to read the conditions and act on instinct. He had fantastic luck in this area. It has been said that artists often have the greatest outcome in their works when they are at home, when it is easier to ascertain the meaning of fleeting symbolism, whether in speech, movement, a look or assembly. Henri Cartier-Bresson, it seems, was at home where ever he traveled. He was also always in the right place at the right time. He was in India at the time of Gandhi’s death, in China when Mao seized power, and others. To recount history one must be there to witness it. This interest in preserving and detailing history is what truly defined him as a photojournalist. His photographs, coupled with the written accompanying passionate explanations, allowed him to cross the boundary between superfluous artist and visionary. He was comfortable roaming; it was a kick back to the launch of his time spent with a camera in hand.

This was the true abandonment of literal surrealism. There was no pretentious ardor of capturing the spontaneity of life, and then ending up with a dead reinvention of reality. It was Henri Cartier-Bresson that took the ideals of surrealism and applied them with a subtle technique and genuine curiosity to the world in a manner that is inspiring. Through his travels and own experiences he was able to embody in his art the humanity of the world. The desire to travel and set down a historical legacy was driven by his desire to know himself. This is the reason he was so proficient at mastering the imagery of history.
Questions

1. What are the strong points/weak points in the presentation. Are there any unanswered questions you have and find important to the overall understanding of Henri Cartier-Bresson?
2. How do you perceive Henri Cartier-Bresson’s character and how is that seen in his photographs?
3. Look at Martin Munkacsi’s Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika and Cartier-Bresson’s photo from FRANCE. Ile-de-France. Yvelines. 1955. What of C.B.’s inspiration can you see in Munkacsi’s photograph? What similarities/differences are there? How do you think C.B.’s approach to photography differed from Munkacsi’s based on the compositions of these pictures?