Street photographers are in a class of their own. Working off instincts honed to precision, they are in possession of the profound gift of capturing the moment as it unfolds. Photographers Andre D. Wagnerand Alfie White are firm proponents of traditional street photography, shooting exquisite scenes of New York City and London, respectively, on black and white film to create a timeless portrait of modern life.
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Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Wagner moved to New York to practice social work, fell in love with photography, and never looked back. Currently a Public Artist in Residence with the NYC Commission on Human Rights, Wagner brings an understanding of the underlying political, social, and economic dynamics to his study of community, along with the knowledge that a photographer is not an “objective” observer but rather a participant with a moral responsibility to respect and support the rights of those in the pictures.
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White is a London-based photographer and long-time fan of Wagner’s. He is currently working on two projects supported by a grant from the 2020 Dazed 100 Ideas Fund in partnership with Converse: a photo essay on the experiences of people affected by the UK Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a collaborative document, where he will engage other young photographers around the world to create an international portrait of the lives of young people in 2020.
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“Andre’s work was what really opened photography to me as an art form and tool,” White says. “(His) work is beautifully intimate, thought provoking, and political. But most importantly, it’s real. In a photographic world (that often) leads the viewer away from reality, Andre takes you straight there, showing life for what it is through his lens, with an emphasis on the nuanced moments (that) not only mark the current time, but will stand the test of it.”
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As part of his Dazed 100 takeover week, White speaks with Wagner for the first time in a conversation about the importance of staying true to your vision through thick and thin, the power of social media to build your own platform, and what to do when you see Beyoncé at a star-studded Hollywood party.
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