ArtThat Now: “Faces in the Crowd” @ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA)

The Faces in the Crowd exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), showcases the evolution of street photography from the 1970s to the 1990s, highlighting how photographers capture the essence of everyday life through artistic and technical mastery.

The exhibition features iconic works by pioneers like Stephen Shore, Garry Winogrand, Helen Levitt, and Dawoud Bey, alongside contemporary contributions from artists such as Luc Delahaye and Yolanda Andrade.

Dawoud Bey, “A Man and Two Women After a Church Service” (1976), photograph, gelatin silver print. Gift of David W. Williams and Eric Ceputis. © Dawoud Bey, photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

1. Key Themes and Approaches

• Documenting the Everyday: The exhibition emphasizes street photography’s ability to transform mundane moments into compelling narratives, blending spontaneity with intentional composition.

• Technical and Artistic Evolution: From gelatin silver prints to digital photography, the works reflect shifts in technology and artistic vision, with Shore’s pioneering use of color photography as a notable example.

• Public vs. Private Moments: Photographs like Dawoud Bey’s A Man and Two Women After a Church Service (1976) and Luc Delahaye’s Taxi (2016) blur the line between candid and staged, revealing intimate glimpses of urban life.

Joel Sternfeld, “New York City (# 1), 1976” (1976), photograph, pigment print. Gift of Ralph and Nancy Segall. © Joel Sternfeld, reproduction courtesy of Luhring Augustine Gallery. Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

2. Notable Works and Artists

• Stephen Shore: His El Paso Street, El Paso, Texas (1975) exemplifies his mastery of color and composition, capturing the quiet poetry of ordinary scenes.

• Dawoud Bey: His striking black-and-white images, such as A Man and Two Women After a Church Service, reflect both technical precision and a deep engagement with social and historical contexts.

• Yolanda Andrade: Her surreal and uncanny compositions, like La revisitación o nueva revelación (1986), challenge perceptions of reality.

Yolanda Andrade, “La revisitación o nueva revelación” (1986), silver gelatin print. Museum purchase with funds donated by Elizabeth and Michael Marcus. © Yolanda Andrade, photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

3. Contemporary Context

• Smartphone Photography’s Impact: The MFA notes that modern street photography has shifted from covert captures to collaborative interactions, as smartphones democratize the medium.

• Narrative Potential: Many photographers use the camera as a tool of transformation, elevating everyday scenes into something “strangely beautiful or even ominous.”

Faces in the Crowd celebrates street photography’s power to document, question, and reimagine daily life. By juxtaposing classic and contemporary works, the exhibition underscores the genre’s enduring relevance and its ability to provoke wonder in the ordinary.

Faces in the Crowd opens on October 11 and runs through July 13, 2026. Find more on the museum’s website.

All images courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, shared with permission

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