Dorothea Lange: Seeing People takes a black-and-white look at people in tough circumstances.
Viewing weathered faces, primarily from the United States, reveals the images of God in the diverse faces of humanity.
Many of her most famous works are government propaganda, revealed or concealed as the government saw fit for a time. Even her most famous portrait, Migrant Mother, told the wrong story for years.
The woman in the photo wasn’t a pea picker, and she wasn’t staying in the camp. Her family had simply stopped there because of car troubles.
Because we project our emotional story onto a static image from a single moment in time, it tells an incorrect story of the Great Depression. Viewing the exhibit and the accompanying book reveals more about the story of that iconic image.
The exhibit is open through March 31, 2024, on the ground floor of NGA’s west building. To see hours and more, visit their website.
