Steve Giovinco

Michelangelo Antonioni and Harry Callahan: La Notte and Photography

I was just watching Michelangelo Antonioni’s La Notte, a great film for its beautiful languid shots of contemporary Italian cities (Milano) and thought of the work of the contemporary fine art photographer, Harry Callahan.  There seems to be so much of a parallel between these two artists, working at roughly the same time (1950s, ’60s and ’70s).

What struck me in La Notte was the use of afternoon light as the female character strolls the streets, similar to Callahan’s work in Chicago and Providence.

Interesting too, is how both Anonioni and Callahan use the architectural elements of the city to describe these psychological moments,  alienation and slightly foreboding feelings.