“I don’t have a philosophy. I have a camera.” The art of photography conveys great meaning since it expresses the emotions and thoughts of an individual as one uncovers special moments in life through visual perceptions. Unlike the conventional trends of photography, American photographer Saul Leiter’s Through the Blurry Window reflects the everyday scenery of life portrayed in a different perspective. Leiter’s work focuses on capturing the beauty of the hidden objects where he captivates viewers with his world of blurred images that signify true beauty, which may have been overlooked previously.

Leiter’s Journey

Saul Leiter is considered the “master of street photography” as he perfectly conveys his messages through photos that illustrate the everyday scenery of his neighborhood with a dreamy, bold, and poetic tone. The exhibition offers an atmosphere where viewers can appreciate both black-and-white photographs and fashion-related pictorials from the 1950s to1970s. Leiter’s statement in the 2012 documentary No Great Hurry that “A window covered with raindrops interests me more than a photograph of a famous person” hints at the impressionistic style Leiter aspires to depict in his photography.

Leiter is also known as a pioneering figure in color photography as he began taking color pictures at a time when photographers insisted on taking black-and-white photos for their deemed honesty and simplicity. Even when other photographers underestimated the use of color images, Leiter adhered to expressing his artistic values as he captured the daily lives of New Yorkers.

Unlike other photographers, Leiter had no desire to use photography to address social absurdities in life, but rather, he found greater delight and reward in uncovering the veiled beauty in life surrounding him. The definition of beauty, however, was not that of overwhelming scenery, celebrity’s faces, or dazzling objects, but the simple yet trivial everyday scenes such as a stranger’s silhouette or the raindrops on a windowpane. Due to this simplicity, Leiter’s works were underappreciated during his time, but his photos were brought to light in the mid-2000s for his remarkable way of observing the world through reflections of abstract figures.

Looking Through Leiter’s Lens

The exhibition is presented across four floors, with the first three floors illustrating the colorful yet abstract scenery of New York. Each floor introduces Leiter’s various artistic attempts, such as portraits of his close family members and lovers, and his experiments with art that combine photography and painting. Depicting irony, most of his photos are not focused on the actual subject but are rather focused on obstacles like windows and gaps. Leiter’s use of blurriness on the different elements of his works such as the surroundings, umbrellas, and people is what gives him the uniqueness that other photographers lack.

The first and second floors of the exhibition begin with Leiter’s earliest black-and-white photography followed by his works of vividly colored images. Most of the artworks here focus on “street photography,” a genre of art that records everyday life in public places. As the viewers walk through the gallery, they are presented with photos of people, places, and objects that are taken beyond reflective surfaces that transform the atmosphere of urban life into a photographic form. For instance, “Sidewalk” and “Snow” portray an anonymous person taken through a foggy glass pane. It is worth paying attention to the condensation on the glass that makes the subject look less apparent, where the blurry yet dreamy expressions of the images offer a greater pictorial feeling. Rather than capturing the facial expressions, Leiter utilizes street photography to express the overall atmosphere and mood of the moment. Like a visual form of poetry, visitors can grab a sense of how Leiter perceives his world— the busy urban life of New York City during his time.

Moving to the third floor, viewers are presented with Leiter’s impressive contribution to fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar in 1958. Unlike the works exhibited on the first two floors, the third floor shows a collection of fashion pictorials, paintings over black-and-white nude photos, and composition works that fully incorporate Leiter’s artistic values of revealing the beauty in the ordinary. Towards the end of the exhibition are displays of several photos of Leiter’s last moments in life where viewers come across photos of Leiter and his lover. The exhibition portrays the artist’s great passion for photography as he continued to take pictures until his last days, leaving behind a strong legacy that has greatly influenced modern photographers.

Leiter’s works allow people to think outside of their traditional ways of taking photos. As Leiter mentioned in a 2006 interview on a radio show, “I happen to believe in the beauty of simple things. I believe that the most uninteresting thing can be very interesting,” this signifies his effort to find uniqueness in the conventional. His principles in photography deliver the importance of understanding the exquisiteness of ordinary life, and by simply being observant, his photos allow viewers to look at the world without a purpose in mind, accepting true values from the mundane.

Mainly self-taught, it is due to Leiter’s unique approach that he has become renowned — his frequent shots of abstract works through filtered reflections evoke a sense of calmness and positivity, and the pastel-like tone of his colored works appears more of a painting than just a photograph. To be fully immersed into Saul Leiter’s world, it is strictly advised that visitors have their phones on mute since the exhibition is the perfect place to uncover the remarkable values that unfold in the glimpse of their daily lives.

Exhibition Information

Title: Saul Leiter: Through the Blurry Window

Venue: Seoul, Jung-gu, Toegye-ro 6ga-gil

Date: December 18, 2021 to March 27, 2022

Opening Hours: 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Ticket Price: 15,000 won