Santa Inez, California.

Altadena, California.

East End, London.

Brixton.

Suffolk, England.

Provence, France.

Venice Beach, California.

Paris, France.

Moscow Circus.

London, England.

Documentary Photography & the Street.

In talks with Leonard, he says, when pushed, that he see's himself as a simple observer, but I think you will agree, he goes far further than that. His photographs have a very strong sense of social discourse, and thus, his observations dig deep into our psyches. Unlike much of the modern street photography produced today, that is or has become reliant on the technical aspects of the camera, Leonard's work relies on our sense of the familiar and what we perceive as an imbalance of things. What at first looks ordinary turns out to be far from so. His eye is keen and we can all learn from the images. Things that many of us would pass by, are rounded up, quickly composed in a fluid and natural way, and instantly become mini records of the times and spaces that he moves through.
Many street photographers claim to be working in the documentary sphere, few actually are, but in Leonard Neumann's hands, the symbiotic relationship, that extends backwards many many decades, between casual observer and social documentary is safe.
In years to come, and maybe only a handful at best, we will look back and realise that Neumann was showing us something important.

D.C.
05/05/2015

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