Louis Faurer, New York, ca. 1949 (2013.99.27)

“My eyes search for people who are grateful for life, people who forgive and whose doubts have been removed, who understand the truth, whose enduring spirit is bathed by such piercing white light as to provide their present and future with hope.” – Louis Faurer, October 2, 1979

Louis Faurer, N.Y.C. , ca. 1949 (2013.99.35)

A sustained exploration of the people of New York is a task undertaken by many photographers and is approached in many different ways. Among those New York City photographers, Louis Faurer’s portraits stand out as influencing such greats as Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand, and Diane Arbus. Faurer presents a delicate interjection of identity and perspective into the otherwise chaotic city streets.

Louis Faurer, Eddie, New York, 1949 (2013.99.28)

Fauer’s photographic subjects range from the bizarre, the glamorous, to the oblivious, but what lies beneath each image is a deep sense of empathy and compassion.  His images reveal traces of melancholy in scenes of otherwise iconic, and boisterous city life without imposing a defined narrative. He captures moments of pause amid the boistrous city that can represent a compasionate exchange.

Louis Faurer, [Times Square, New York], 1948 (2013.99.51)

Often images of Times Square meld into an overwhelming mix of bodies and neon lights, but Louis Faurer’s compositions introduce you to individuals within the crowd, pausing to provide a moment of silence in an otherwise deafening barrage of city life.