Magnum Magnum
© René Burri/Magnum, Children playing, Sicily, Italy, 1956, p 114
Written and Photo Edited by Joe Cuccio
Magnum Photos has been a staple in photography since the 1940s and continues to expand upon its legacy today. This book is a wonderful compilation of the extraordinary display of vision that Magnum Photos offers through the eyes of its members. Viewers gain insight into the original storytellers who founded Magnum and even get to know the group’s rising stars. This compendium of phenomenal image makers follows the 75th anniversary of Magnum Photos. It is a celebration of the many photographers who have been decorated by the title of being a Magnum photographer and follows in tribute to the emphasis on establishing a uniquely collaborative creative environment.
Courtesy of Thames & Hudson
Magnum Photos pulls out all the stops in this book by showing the diverse range of artists and photojournalists that they have recently added to their roster. Photographers like Lindokuhle Sobekwa, who is relatively new to photography, have a profound impact on the medium. The work he does explores the poverty and unemployment found in his home country of South Africa while also unpacking his personal life. Sobekwa creates powerful imagery that enters the core of what it means to exist in an impoverished life in South Africa and humanizes those who live this indigent existence.
© Lindokuhle Sobekwa/Magnum, After a protest related to continuous power cuts during lockdown level 5 in Thokoza. Johannesburg, South Africa, 2020, p 654
Political histories are unpacked photographically through the works of Magnum image makers like Rafal Milach. Both invoking the use of documentary and conceptual practices, Milach dives into how history has transformed, particularly within the former Soviet bloc. Magnum Photos gives space for image makers of all kinds to spread their work throughout the world, and the creation of this book is no exception to that. It is a wonderful way for newcomers like Milach to be seen by the beloved followers of Magnum Photos and the medium of photography in general.
© Rafał Milach/Magnum, Abortion Ban Protests. Warsaw, Poland, October 2020, p 490
In this book, we not only gain insight into some of the world’s most renowned photographers but hear what their peers have to say about the work they have made. What is fascinating about this book is that it is broken into individual sections for the various photographers, including images of their own. Within these individual segments, the reader finds commentary from other photographers in the organization that offers insight into their significance. The combination of displaying a photographer’s work and uplifting it through any image maker’s accompanying words hits on the core values that Magnum abides by. Masters of the craft comment on the work sincerely and passionately. Elliot Erwitt commended the work of Eve Arnold for its great level of diversity and ability to convey her concerns directly whilst giving humanity to her subjects. Magnum Photos offers inspiration to not just the viewers, but also to fellow big names in photography through having a group of supporting image makers always in their corner.
© Eve Arnold/Magnum, Retired woman, China, 1979, p 44
