Feinstein, American Photography, and the Place of Optimism in Art

The Store X Gallery at 180 The Strand hosts FOUND: A Harold Feinstein Exhibition , the UK’s first ever exhibition of the legendary, 20th century American photographer Harold Feinstein. The exhibition is accompanied by screenings at the Curzon DocHouse of Andy Dunn’s film Last Stop Coney Island: The Life and Photography of Harold Feinstein. Curated by Carrie Scott, the exhibition showcases how Feinstein’s life paralleled the greatest era in modern photography, being called by the New York Times “one of the most accomplished recorders of the American experience.”. The show employs a range of media. Before you even see one of Feinstein’s images, you hear his voice; there are also manuscripts from the lectures that he gave, and some small excerpts of the film are included. Feinstein’s presence is there, right from the beginning. Through distinct bodies of work (Coney Island, Street Photography, Nudes and Still Life) we see the extraordinary eye of a master photographer with an uncompromising ability to capture beauty in every composition.