war
kuwait, 1991
photo © steve mccurry

american photographer steve mccurry's 'south-east' exhibition is the narration of the silent journey
which he has often made to the southern and eastern parts of the world, where he has become
an observer, bearing witness to places rarely traveled.

recently held at the palazzo della ragione in milan, italy, 'south-east' showcased a selection of
200 shots mccurry has captured over the last 30 years of his photographic career, taking visitors
on a journey through an unwinding path of faces, colors, scenery and lights, turmoil and happiness,
creating an emotional landscape through which one explores the world of mccurry, almost hearing
the sounds, sights and smells which he has experienced on his travels.

'the sequence of images presented in the exhibition 'south-east', evokes the ample mosaic
of human experience and my casual encounters with silhouettes and shadows, water and light.
I wanted to portray the visceral meaning of beauty and of wonder hat I found in my journeys
to the visitor, when the surprise of the stranger mixes with the joy of familiarity.' - SM

the exhibition was divided into six sections: beauty, children, joy, silence and travel, the other and war.


war
afghanistan, 1992
photo © steve mccurry

war
there is no rhetoric in this section. tragedy is filled with poetry. pain is transfigured by the harmony
of the images. beauty and tragedy intertwine, portraying the mystery of the human condition.

war
kuwait, 1991
photo © steve mccurry


joy
bylakuppe, southern india, 2001
photo © steve mccurry

joy
immortalizing sceneries of joy. mccurry captures beauty, intensity of color, life flowing,
as if the interruption of war can't affect the essence of life at its core.


joy
sri lanka, 1995
photo © steve mccurry


the other
kashmir, 1995
photo © steve mccurry

the other
here, the viewer is thrown into a relationship with 'the other', with the person in the most absolute
meaning of the word. these images emphasize the indispensable value that human dignity has
always had for mccurry.


the other
india, 1997
photo © steve mccurry


childhood
yemen, 1999
photo © steve mccurry

childhood
with these images, one reflects on the dramatic themes of the history of humanity,
that perhaps there cannot be real joy without a full understanding of pain.
the photos of children forced to renounce their childhood are transfixing: from astonishment to fear,
from solitude to the need of adopting an artificial adult look.


childhood
maymyo, myanmar (burma), 1994
photo © steve mccurry


silence
kashmir, 1996
photo © steve mccurry

silence
a fundamental theme of this section is traveling through cultures and silence.
mccurry's photos portray people praying, the ultimate setting of silence. the traveler follows
and lives together with the artist, on his physical journeys in the different countries he has visited.


silence
india, 1999
photo © steve mccurry


silence
india, 1995
photo © steve mccurry


beauty
pakistan, 1984
photo © steve mccurry

beauty
the exhibition ends with three pictures, one which is of the famous image depicting the
green-eyed afghan girl which is now part of the history of photography. the other two portraits
are also of afghan girls. if the photographer is famous throughout the world for some icons,
this exhibition has helped viewers discover that there are other equally phenomenal photos
within steve mccurry's portfolio.


beauty
pakistan, 2002
photo © steve mccurry


steve mccurry
portrait © designboom

steve mccurry was born in philadelphia, USA in 1950.
he studied cinema and history at pennsylvania state university.
originally thought about producing documentaries, but soon started to collaborate as a
photographer for a local newspaper. after several years, he decided to travel to india
and compose his first real portfolio with images of his journey. he then decided to stay in india
for two years, and after the publication of his first important work on afghanistan, he began
collaborating with some prestigious magazines including: time, life, newsweek, geo and national geographic.
among the many of his photo journalistic awards are two world press photo awards.

the 'south-east' exhibition will be traveling to galleria nazionale dell'umbria perugia, italy
and will run from april 11th - september 5th, 2010.