It turns out that the famous writer Eudora Welty could work magic with a camera too, portraying people during the Great Depression as optimistic, compassionate and profound. Fifty-three of Welty’s photographs are included in the exhibition, Passionate Observer: Eudora Welty among Artists of the Thirties, at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson from now until June 30. There are 149 works in the exhibition that relate to the Great Depression as seen through the eyes of several Mississippi artists, including Walter Anderson and William Hollingsworth.
Welty always referred to her photos as “snapshots” to emphasize the unpredictability and truth behind her photography. Her photos in the exhibit were taken in New Orleans, New York and Mississippi and capture everyday life during the pivotal era of the Great Depression.
“They were taken spontaneously to catch something as I came upon it, something that spoke of the life going on around me,” the late Welty said in a press release. “A snapshot’s now or never.”
“Welty’s photos show optimism, interactions between people, black churches, spirituality, mystery and magic,” said Rene Barilleaux, curator of the Mississippi Museum of Art. “She was really into spice of life.”
Barilleaux said Welty was successful in the fundamentals of photography as well as creative in her content decisions.
“Her great composition and sense of lighting infuses with personal content that transcends being well-made photos,” Barilleaux said.
Welty made photographs from the late 1920s to the late ’50s. Barilleaux explained why Welty suddenly quit photography, long before her death last year.
“She left her camera on a Paris metro, and she was mad at herself for being so careless,” Barilleaux said. “After that she didn’t buy another camera.”
Though Welty’s career in photography ended abruptly, it brought her a reasonable amount of recognition. Two exhibitions of her photos were mounted in New York, and she has published several books of her photos.
“The exhibition has had an overwhelming, emotional response,” Barilleaux said. “People who lived during the Depression have a real connection to it. The younger generation has an interesting historical perspective that resonates with the same emotions of today.”
Barilleaux said one of the most interesting things about this exhibition is the timing of it. He said people today understand the exhibit in terms of the present ominous era , due to the war in the Middle East.
“People respond to the exhibition in a very interesting way,” Barilleaux said. “It is dealing with an historic period when there was a lot of uncertainty like there is now. The art reflects a strong sense of optimism that is comforting to people today.”
Barilleaux said it is exciting to have this unique side of Welty on display in Mississippi, especially in her hometown and so close after her death. He said that due to Welty’s Mississippi background, outsiders could not have put on this exhibition.
“It was important that it originated in Mississippi,” Barilleaux said.