Winona Ryder’s favourite photograph: “It’s very moving”
With a filmography filled to the brim with nuanced, quirky, and iconic characters, Winona Ryder has become one of the most beloved names in cinema. From her early success with coming-of-age classic-turned-musical Heathers to her ongoing role in Netflix’s Stranger Things, Ryder has remained consistent on our screens, big and small, for almost four decades.
Throughout her lengthy career, Ryder has also gifted modern cinema with some iconic imagery. From her spikey-haired appearance in Beetlejuice to her iconic looks in Heathers to the multi-coloured fairy lights she strings to the wall in Stranger Things, Ryder’s on-screen appearances are often tied to beautiful costume design, art direction or cinematography.
With her penchant for artistic visual direction, it’s no surprise that Ryder also harbours an interest in static visual art. In a conversation with AnOther, the iconic actor once picked out her favourite photograph of all time – The Walk to Paradise Garden by W. Eugene Smith.
A humanistic photojournalist, Smith used his craft to tell real-life stories, often from war. Consequently, much of his work was intense, reflecting the brutality of its subject matter, but Ryder’s favourite piece was much gentler. The Walk to Paradise Garden was taken in 1946 and features his two children, Patrick and Juanita.
“I own my favourite photograph,” Ryder noted, “Walk to Paradise Garden by W. Eugene Smith. It’s a shot of his two children walking through a cove holding hands. It’s very moving.” It certainly is very moving and a stark imagery of peace and innocence in comparison with his more brutal works.
Ryder also shared her love for Robert Frank, noting another personal connection to his work. “I have a series of his,” she began, “Of a couple in Coney Island by a cigarette machine, and then on a bus. They look so comfortable together.” At the time she purchased them, it seemed that Ryder saw herself in the couple. “I bought the pictures when I was in a relationship, with someone I felt comfortable with,” she explained.
Ryder was so attached to the photo that, when she and her partner broke up, she was compelled to find Frank’s subjects. She recalled, “When we split, though it was mutual, I didn’t know why. I tracked down the couple in the photograph and met them. They are still together.”
It’s a reminder of just how powerful and affecting photography can be, at once containing the most intimate moments and the most universal experiences of humanity. Ryder’s own work isn’t dissimilar – in the many weird and wonderful characters and stories she’s taken on, countless audiences have seen themselves and taken comfort in her performances.
Take a look at The Walk to Paradise Garden by W. Eugene Smith below.
