Eve Arnold’s photography arrives in Forlì

Legend of twentieth century photography and, together with Inge Morath, the first woman to be part of the Magnum Photos agency, Eve Arnold arrives in Forlì thanks to the new exhibition set up in the rooms of the San Domenico Civic Museum. Titled Eve Arnold. The work, 1950-1980 and open to visitors until 7 January 2024, the exhibition traces the thirty-year career of the American artist, presenting a series of 170 shots portraying Hollywood divas, fashion shows and extremely current investigative reports even after years.THE PHOTOGRAPHER EVE ARNOLD’S EXHIBITION IN FORLÌ Curated by Monica Poggi, the exhibition itinerary recounts Arnold’s entire production, illustrating her particular language, initially characterized by the use of black and white and the subsequent transition to colors. The protagonist of his shots is always the human being: among his first works, dating back to the 1950s, the images dedicated to the African-American community and in particular to the models of the Harlem fashion shows stand out, immortalized – as never before – behind the fifths. The reportage on the newborns at the Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson is unforgettable: a work which, carried out after the painful death of her son, expresses the fragility and pain of what happened. Following his entry into the prestigious Magnum Photos agency in 1951, Arnold’s dialogue with the world of entertainment began, of which the artist managed to capture the most intimate and authentic side: from the images of Marlene Dietrich, to the portraits of Joan Crawford before entering the set, up to the iconic shots of Marilyn Monroe, with whom he establishes a deep friendship. Starting in 1969, the photographer received some international assignments that took her to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and even to China, where she created a documentary dedicated to the situation of the country after the inauguration of Deng Xiaoping.THE HISTORY BY EVE ARNOLD Born in 1912 in Philadelphia, Eve Arnold approached photography in the mid-1940s. After moving to New York, she married Arnold Arnold (with whom she had a son in 1948). In the early 1950s she attended a course at the New School for Social Research and the following year her first report on Harlem models appeared in Picture Post. A supporter of anti-racist movements, in 1951 she joined Magnum Photos, where she created some of the most famous shots of her dedicated to the great figures of cinema and entertainment. After moving to London in 1962, she dedicated herself to reportage, making incredible documentaries, such as the one on the condition of women in the Middle East in 1971.
[Immagine in apertura: Installation view, Eve Arnold. L’opera, 1950-1980, Museo Civico San Domenico, 2023; Courtesy Fondazione Cassa dei Risparmi di Forlì]