Featured photo for exhibit A Thousand Words

A Thousand Words

Masters of Photojournalism

2009-07-03 - 2009-09-25

Santa Fe - Monroe Gallery of Photography, 112 Don Gaspar, is pleased to announce "A Thousand Words: Masters of Photojournalism", an exhibition of more than 60 great photographs from the field of photojournalism. The exhibition opens with a public reception on July 3 from 5 - 7 pm, and will continue through September 25.

The phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" emerged in the early part of the 20th century, and is said to have been derived from a faulty translation of a Chinese proverb. However, the way a photograph can capture time, emotions, and feelings has made photography a unique art form. There are certain mysteries about great photographs that captivate viewers and cause us to pause in thought and remembrance. We have often seen these photographs reproduced numerous times in newspapers, magazines, books and documentaries. Universally relevant, they reflect the past, the present, and the changing times. These unforgettable images are imbedded in our collective consciousness; they are defining moments chronicling our visual history. They are, indeed, worth a thousand words.

In today's ocean of bad news for the press--picture editors being laid off, agency, newspapers and magazines closures,--an island of hope, history, and artistic recognition is thriving in the photographs featured in the exhibition. Included are several photographs never before shown at Monroe Gallery, and photographs collectively exhibited together for the first time.

The photographers in this exhibition have captured dramatic moments in time and illustrate the power of photography to inform, persuade, enlighten and enrich the viewer's life. These images also embody truth and beauty and represent what can genuinely be called "Masters of Photojournalism".