As a kid growing up in Chicago, thanks to the vision and skill of an extraordinary sculptor, Malvina Hoffman, I was fortunate enough to stand next to, look and marvel at a spear-throwing aborigine; a Solomon Islander scaling a tree; a young African woman in the midst of dance; a pygmy family from the Belgian Congo. More than 90 life-sized bronze figures were presented in one room for my easy access and appreciation.
Malvina Hoffman’s sculptures - her races of |
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On any one Red Line car of the Chicago Transit Authority, you'll find Hoffman’s races of mankind, - breathing, shuffling mankind - packed together on their way to some place. Public transportation provides an intimate, privileged setting in which to appreciate people, where the passengers are temporarily stranded in a sitting or standing position.
A random mix of passengers comes together as if they were deliberately posed in composition. Seconds later, the Red Line car comes to a stop, the doors open and the composition evaporates.
I took these photographs on my way to and from work - in the morning getting on at Morse Avenue, a stop in Rogers Park, and getting off at Grand or Jackson, downtown Chicago.
I began with my first roll of film on June 23, 1997 and shot the last on July 23, 1998. I’d take 3 to 6 seconds to frame and shoot and most often shot one to one.
Camera; Nikon N90 35 mm. Lens: 28-70 mm zoom lens. Film: T-Max 3200
Howard Blume ~ Paparazzi to the people
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