Street and Studio

This exhibition at Tate Modern is a fascinating look at the history of urban photography. I found the earlier examples the most intriguing although there is something for all tastes. One of the constants from the 19th to the 21st century is the fascination with vagrants and others at the bottom end of the socio-economic ladder. This extends from shots of tramps asleep on benches in Paris to photos of "undesirables" to be used by the Swiss authorities. Leading on from this there is also a selection of mugshots from the Chicago police. The photos also provide an important historical function. We can see 1899 San Francisco Chinatown, later destroyed by the earthquake, the execution of a Hungarian Fascist leader at the end of the war, and a murdered Mexican striker in the 1930s. Then there are the more mundane photos such as those taken by street photographers in Berlin or urban studios in Mali. These too provide evidence of their time. The exhibition also raises issues about the ethics of secret filming. How do those people innocently sitting on trains or walking down a street feel about their later use as art? Where does consent fit into this? In all, a thought-provoking show.