Artwork Page for Walking Man/Man in a Hurry

Details / Information for Walking Man/Man in a Hurry

Walking Man/Man in a Hurry

1962

Phillip Leonian

(American, 1927–2016)
Culture
America
Medium
gelatin silver print
Measurements
Image: 43.2 x 35.6 cm (17 x 14 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Leonian Charitable Trust 2024.110
Copyright
Copyright
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Phillip Leonian invented techniques and equipment that enabled him to capture the object in motion and the motion itself in a single still image.

Description

This image is not the result of multiple exposures but instead of leaving the shutter open and synchronizing the camera with the man’s movement so that his body remains centered on the sheet. His business attire and motion evoke the fast pace of modern life and suggests the rat race: the continuous struggle to get ahead financially or professionally that may just lead to running in place and getting nowhere.
A vertically oriented black-and-white photograph depicts a man with light skin tone leaping mid-stride, facing our right. He wears a dark suit, white collar, and dark hat, clutching a briefcase. His legs are spread wide, suspended above the ground. Intense horizontal motion blur creates transparent, overlapping silhouettes trailing behind his body. The background consists of gray and white horizontal streaks that merge with him to suggest rapid speed.

Walking Man/Man in a Hurry

1962

Phillip Leonian

(American, 1927–2016)
America

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