The director of the Audiovisual Communication (CA), Advertising and Public Relations (PRP) and Journalism (PER) degrees at the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO), Dr Helena Garay, offered a guided tour of the exhibition “Ruth Orkin. New York – New York” at the Image Documentation Centre (CDIS).
During the tour, Garay offered a critical reading of the work of Ruth Orkin, one of the great figures of 20th-century photojournalism. The exhibition, comprising more than 40 original photographs from the artist’s personal archive in New York, offers an intimate and vibrant portrait of the American city during the 1940s and 1950s. The activity brought together an audience interested in photography and visual thinking, and was highly praised for its educational and reflective approach.
The Doctor of Humanities, Arts and Education, who specialises in Photojournalism and Cinematographic Photography Direction, brought an interdisciplinary perspective to the event. During the visit, she not only contextualised Orkin’s work, but also reflected on the image as a form of thought, a theme that runs through her academic and creative work. In addition, she sought to teach the importance of ‘photographing without a camera’, educating the eye and discovering new ways of perceiving visual reality.