United States of America
After carrying out assignments in Vienna and London, Haas conceived of an extensive project about America. Visas to the United States were difficult to obtain, but in 1950 Robert Capa appointed Haas Magnum’s U.S. Vice President. With this position, Haas was able to obtain the proper documentation, and he arrived in New York in May of that year. The first images Haas took in the United States showed fellow immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. They showed people in transition, coming to an unfamiliar place and beginning a new life.
By the time of Haas’ arrival, the streets of New York had already become a popular subject for photographers who sought to document all aspects of life. His approach was less direct and confrontational than that of such contemporaneous colleagues as Lisette Model or William Klein. Wrote critic A.D. Coleman, “ was a lyric poet pursuing a photographic equivalent of gestural drawing, utilizing such photographic effects as softness of focus, selective depth of field, and overexposure to telling effect.”
While Haas would continue traveling the world for his work, he lived for the rest of his life in New York City.
Read more about this topic: Ernst Haas
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