Selections from the Permanent Collection: The Photographs of Max Yavno

Selections from the Permanent Collection: The Photographs of Max Yavno presented one hundred and eighty-five prints by the social documentarian recently gifted to MOCA by the Yavno Estate. The works—all silver gelatin prints, some vintage, some contemporary—comprised mostly street scenes of California and New York, spanning Yavno’s time at the leftist photography organization Photo League, the Federal Theater Project of the Works Progress Administration, various commercial advertising gigs, and his final years as an independent, fine art photographer. Arranged geographically and chronologically, the photographs revealed Yavno’s dual commitment to social commentary and technical prowess, a stay-over from his early years at the Photo League. The group’s 1938 manifesto read: “Upon the photographer rests the responsibility and duty of recording a true image of the world as it exists today,” a belief that Yavno would hold for the rest of his career.

Selections from the Permanent Collection: The Photographs of Max Yavno was organized by Constance Wolf, Research Associate, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.