Aug
14
David Seymour Photography
Filed Under Exhibitions
David Seymour’s photography, also known as “Chim” to his confidantes, is being displayed at the De Young museum. Like all nerdy lovers of culture and art in a totally non-pretentious way of course I’m going to take a look at it tonight (Friday nights at the De Young, the museum remains open until 9!)
I had honestly never heard of David Symour, but he was in the same time as Robert Capa, and preceded Cartier-Bresson. Cartier-Bresson had high words for “Chim.”
“Chim, like Robert Capa, was a Parisian from Montparnasse. He had the intelligence of a chess player; with the air of a math teacher he applied his vast curiosity and culture to a great number of subjects… He accepted the servitudes of his profession and turned out to be brave in situations that seemed utterly foreign to his personality. Chim picked up his camera the way a doctor takes his stethoscope out of his bag, applying his diagnosis to the condition of the heart. His own was vulnerable.
—Henri Cartier-Bresson
—Henri Cartier-Bresson
Anybody who Henri speaks of in such glowing terms deserves my attention. I will report back on what I see tonight. I imagine my brain will get a much-needed dose of beauty tonight.