Leonard Freed: Photographs 1954-1990

More widely exhibited and published in Europe than at home, Brooklyn-born photographer Freed offers his first American book in 12 years. The 170 black and white pictures collected here are well worth the wait: the subject matter is sometimes violent and the images often startling, but a deep compassion and lively interest in seemingly every aspect of the human condition are evident in each shot. Portraits of Hasidic Jews conversing with their children reveal individuals underneath the uniform garb. The many strong photos of African Americans depict both the reality of oppression and the resilience with which it is resisted. Striking juxtapositions abound: a giant snake curled around the wheel of a child's stroller on a New York street faces an elderly man in an Israeli hospital fearfully regarding the plastic cords (echoing the snake's curves) that link him to medical equipment. As German magazine journalist Rosenkranz notes in her affectionate introduction, Freed's work has an ``honest drama'' that is both moving and thought-provoking. ( Apr. )