Walker Evans

Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 - 1975) was an American photographer made famous by his work for the Farm Securities Administration documenting the effects of the Great Depression. His work uses the large-format, dispassionate viewpoint to emphasize the plight of the American public during this period of economic unrest. He also focuses on the landscapes and architecture around him. Images like "Furniture Store Sign, Birmingham, Alabama" (1936) shows his ability for visual irony but backs it up by making a very valid social point.

In 1938 and 1939 Evans worked with and mentored Helen Levitt. In 1941 Walker Evans co-published, along with James Agee, the ground-breaking book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. It was a series of photos by Evans along with accompanying text by Agee, detailing the two's journey through the rural south during the Great Depression. Its detailed account of three farming families paints a deeply moving portrait of rural poverty.

As well as this strong documentary aspect, Evans went on to work in an abstract modernist, using the tools of both black-and-white and colour photography to cover both socio-political issues and more conceptual artistic ideas.

See also

• Photojournalism

"Furniture Store Sign, Birmingham, Alabama"