Saul Leiter had a distinctive approach to his art, often described as that of a “dilettante”—an amateur who pursues art for the sheer love of it rather than for professional acclaim. This approach resonates with the concept of the “Flâneur”, a French term that translates to “stroller” or “lounger” in English. A “Flâneur” is someone who wanders the streets aimlessly, observing the world with detached curiosity and wide-open eyes, seeking beauty in everyday life, whether it reveals itself or not. Leiter embodied this spirit in his photography. He would walk the streets of New York City, capturing fleeting moments and the interplay of light and shadow. His work was not driven by a desire to document social issues or make grand statements but by a simple love for the act of seeing and capturing the world around him. This approach deeply resonates with me, as it mirrors what motivates me most in photography. Saul Leiter’s images often feature reflections, shadows, and blurred subjects, giving them a dreamlike quality. This aligns with the “Flâneur’s” tendency to observe life from a distance, finding beauty in the mundane and overlooked. His approach was more about the journey and the experience of wandering through the city than about the destination or the final image. His humility is both touching and compelling. FOAM in Amsterdam showcases, under the name “An Unfinished World”, a large body of his work, including the types of pictures described above, in both color and black and white. The exhibition also features more intimate series that reveal how he might have felt about his models. These pictures express a lot of love, with the models appearing beautiful, innocent, and fearless, suggesting they felt safe and loved. The images are beautiful, moving, and intimate.
