How a Camera Reads—And Captures—The Human Face

Erich Salomon (German, 1886 - 1944); Portrait of Madame Vacarescu, Romanian Author and Deputy to the League of Nations, Geneva; Geneva, Switzerland; 1928; Gelatin silver print; 29.7 × 39.7 cm (11 11/16 × 15 5/8 in.)

In Focus: Expressions is on view from May 22 to October 7, 2018 at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The exhibition undertakes the numerous human expressions that, usually unnoticed, are captured in a way that represents the versatility of the face. Beginning with the smile, these images show the range of expression that comes from that cue alone.

This exhibition records some of the first expressions that have been photographed, all resulting from the problematic issues that arose with photography of the human facial expression. Further, this exhibition explores the notion of the mask; the way we choose to express ourselves when presenting to the world. Using this, some subjects choose a new identity, while others suggest internal struggles.

For additional information, see: www.getty.edu