Eve Arnold's show at The Gallery of Photography does not appear in a world ignorant of the attractions of this American photo-journalist's work. Quite the opposite. By now Arnold must be one of the planet's most famous photographers. Her images are endlessly reproduced, the star turn of more than one postcard shop or cupboard door, and the exhibition now in Dublin began its world tour in 1995.
Having her own commercial momentum should not preclude Arnold from showing at The Gallery of Photography - even if, as a gallery handout reminds us, the establishment is "grant aided by the Arts Council and Dublin Corporation". But, as the Gallery has decided to show Arnold's work, it might be expected to offer some substantial examination of the significance of Arnold's images. There is no sense here, however, that anything other than sleepy hagiography is required. The images here include sturdy quickies from the set of The Misfits, Marilyn in the embrace of Henry Miller, some rather self-consciously "social" photographs, and a couple of slices of cheesecake. Some photographs of Joan Crawford, which another caption explains were intended to show what a hard job it was keeping up appearances as a Hollywood diva, maintain a certain interest, however. As Crawford is plucked, squeezed, corseted and moulded, there is a hint of an industry developing around extreme cosmetic intervention. These are not, however, the sort of ideas in which notices around these photographs seem to interest themselves. Instead they offer such helpful advice as "...see my book Eve Arnold In Retrospect ...".
Consequently, the most forceful discourse here remains that of self-promotion, or even just good old-fashioned advertising. In many "explanatory" captions, written in the first person, the voice speaks a language indistinguishable from PR patter, its deadly drone loud enough to threaten any quiet messages these pictures might have.
Runs until Jan 31st
Malcom X, one of the pictures from Eve Arnold in Retrospect at the Gallery of Photography
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