group of three standing boys and three seated boys, on a tiled sidewalk and seated on the step of a building; standing boy at right wears an open short sleeved shirt and wide-legged pants; seated boys play finger cymbals, drum, and other percussion instruments

%C2%A9 Estate of Genevieve Naylor%2C Courtesy Augusta Edwards Fine Art

Boys on Sidewalk, c. 1940-1942

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Between 1940 and 1943, photographer Genevieve Naylor created nearly 1200 unique photographs of everyday life in Brazil for the US Department of State. Naylor rigorously challenged herself to depict the vibrancy and individuality of the Brazilian people despite their life under an authoritarian regime. Her photographs present the immediacy of her interactions with her subjects and convey her sensitivity to their positions within Brazilian cultural life. Drawing upon architectural elements to frame group and individual portraits of people in the course of their everyday lives in each of these works, Naylor captures a range of expressions across numerous thresholds, highlighting the character and complexity of a society under the scrutiny of both domestic and international entities. While working as an ostensible partner to these entities, Naylor’s photographs resist the visual hallmarks of statesponsored surveillance and provide instead a portrait of a nation unbowed, individualistic, and aware of the forces that would subject them as they gaze unflinchingly into her lens.

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Details
Title
Boys on Sidewalk
Artist Life
1915 - 1989
Role
Photographer
Accession Number
2020.16.3
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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group of three standing boys and three seated boys, on a tiled sidewalk and seated on the step of a building; standing boy at right wears an open short sleeved shirt and wide-legged pants; seated boys play finger cymbals, drum, and other percussion instruments

© Estate of Genevieve Naylor, Courtesy Augusta Edwards Fine Art