A lot of the work in the exhibition shows the young Kubrick shooting scenes that would be familiar to a young man who grew up in the Bronx; his subject matter was none other than New York City. He certainly found inspiration in the grit and grunge of the big city, replete with all of the colorful characters who inhabit it: couples on the subway, kids gathered near a hot dog cart and, of course, people lounging in parks. But the collection of photographs goes further, even showing the beginnings of his eventual transformation into a master filmmaker.
A statement released by the museum elucidates how this deeper, more comprehensive understanding of Kubrick’s career is revealed with this new showing of his early work:
“Towards the end of his tenure at Look, Kubrick shot two feature layouts for the magazine covering the boxers Rocky Graziano and Walter Cartier. Kubrick later made Cartier the subject of his first film, “The Day of the Fight.” The photographic work for Look became the storyboard for the film, enabling Kubrick to work out the scenes, camera angles, framing, and lighting. Kubrick maintained this practice of storyboarding from photographs throughout his life.”
“During this period at Look, Stanley Kubrick made his transition from photographer to filmmaker in ways both indirect and direct. Through a Different Lens explores this lesser-known but foundational part of his career and illuminates the connections between his time as a young photojournalist in New York City and the legendary director he is remembered as today.”
Here are some of the images you’ll see when you drop by the show ….
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