Xmas, Macy's Possibly 1954 - 1978

Curator: Let’s consider William Klein’s black and white photograph, possibly taken between 1954 and 1978, titled "Xmas, Macy's." Editor: Immediately, it hits me with a kind of gritty elegance. You know, that feeling when something’s a bit raw, but dressed up nicely. It's New York in a nutshell! The almost overwhelming density of faces paired with those skyscrapers makes you feel so small yet also like you’re part of something grand and chaotic. Curator: Klein’s use of high contrast contributes significantly to that feeling. Observe how the stark lighting delineates each face and architectural detail, emphasizing the geometry of the composition. It reduces forms to graphic elements, almost abstracting the scene, despite the identifiable subject matter. Editor: And there's something haunting about those faces. Maybe it's because it is black and white or the high contrast. Everyone seems like they have a story. And those oversized glasses! They seem both dated and strangely chic even today. The image pulses with hidden energy like you know there is something brewing beneath all that surface composure. Curator: Absolutely. Klein intentionally employs harshness to mirror the intensity of urban existence. It also speaks to his departure from traditional photographic practices of the time which often valued a softer, more idealized aesthetic. It's interesting how we fill in the emotional gaps. Editor: Right, Klein's photography feels so human. Imperfect, full of life. And you can practically feel the jostling crowds and the winter chill just looking at it. The artist perfectly captures that moment and lets your imagination create its story. Curator: Precisely, which underlines the significance of the image, an enduring representation of human convergence within an architectural structure that can hold or inspire dreams and illusions. The photographic evidence. Editor: It’s more than that to me. It feels like a time capsule filled with bittersweet nostalgia, even though I’ve never been there, never lived then. It makes you wonder what became of them, you know, these New Yorkers staring back at us. What Christmases did they see? Curator: A provocative thought, indeed. The emotional ambiguity of art in that instant is fascinating. Editor: So true, so true. A picture is never just a picture, it is a doorway into feeling.