New York State Farm Interior

Title: New York State Farm Interior
Artist: Walker Evans
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Year produced: 1931 


Evans was one of many photographers who worked for the FDA documenting life 
during the Great Depression. His work focused on the time he spent living 
with and capturing the lives of three different farming families in the 
Midwest. This was significant, as it showed a much more true face to the 
reality of the United States at that time. 


I like how Evans captures a glimpse into the lives of farmers during the 
Great Depression, without involving people in the photo in the photo. It’s a 
rather disjointed and messy photo, with the pile of what looks like clothes 
in the right and the mess of objects on the cabinet, though I suppose this 
goes well with how chaotic and disjointed things were during the Great 
Depression for most people. I also really like the repetition of squares and 
rectangles in this photo, such as the chair, the hallway, and the small 
image that is hanging on the wall. I don’t think this photo would work as 
well if it didn’t have that consistent repetition of shape.