1. Pace Gallery: Irving Penn, On Assignment
The exhibit at this gallery was on the work of Irving Penn and showcased his work over the course of his lifetime. A large portion of his work shown was of people, with a fair share of the work shown from his days working at Vogue. Many of his subjects were of people, models, and group photographs. There was a great deal of work in black and white, however his more recent pieces were in color and focused on food as art. There were two parts of the exhibit that I enjoyed the most. The first was the case of magazine covers, mostly from Vogue. They were colorful and exciting and to this day, nearly 60 years later, were able to give me a feel of excitement for modern fashion. The second part the the exhibit I liked the most were the high contrast black and white photos of Miles Davis’s hands. At first I wasn’t sure what the piece was, but at a closer looks I could see each had formation was that of a note on the trumpet. The contrast and light used in the photo accented the oily sheen and deep textures and lines on Davis’s hands, and the lines of his fingers forming each note made you feel like the trumpet was there. I personally could hear the sound of jazz music as I was enjoying these photos.
2. Hasted Kraeutler: Nick Brandt, Across The Ravaged Land
This exhibit brought us into the wild, with a collection of photographs of animals from the African Desert. These photos were mostly black and white, some with a silver tone and others with a sepia tone. Many of the photos were taken at the eye level of the subjects, mostly lions and elephants, and close up enough that you can see the detail of fur on the lions and the deep, dry wrinkles of the elephants. The photos taken so I didn’t feel as if I was invading the animal’s environment, but was just an observer up close. You were able to get a feel for how dry and ravaged the land was as well as the fight between animal and man. Some photos depicted humans showing off the prizes of successful hunting, particularly heads of stuffed animals and ivory from elephant tusks. My favorite piece in this exhibit was of the baby elephant at the side of the mother elephant who had her tusks removed from humans. This piece was heartbreaking as the baby was trying to comfort the mother showed the bond that elephants have with their children.
3. Mary Boone Gallery: Robert Polidori, Versailles
This exhibit showcased a body of work taken at the Palace of Versailles and clearly showed the opulent nature of the last King of France. The photos were very geometric in style, using leading lines from architectural elements such as flooring, molding and doors to create a sense of depth and space through perspective. Polidori uses an extensive depth of field in all of these photos as the photos are clear and crisp. The colors were vibrant, especially on some of the painted trim and the wall coverings. I also found it interesting that in each photo there was some form of open doorway, and if there wasn’t a doorway there was evidence of an open passageway, such as a keyhole or window. My feelings from this exhibit were mixed as I witnessed extreme beauty that eventually succumbed to an opulent ruler that created it, ever reminding us that entitled extravagance does not last forever.
4. Danziger Projects: Susan Derges, New Work
This exhibit was unique from the others we saw because it was a real life experience created in a studio. The photographs were of shadows of what appeared to be scenes from a park casted on a background of water. They were all two tones, one of the black shadow of the objects and the other of colored water. The subjects included foliage as well as objects used to create a shadow that suggested the presence of a bridge. Derges used a combination of curved and straight lines and an extensive depth of field and used both positive and negative space effectively while emphasizing the smooth rippled texture of the water. I truly enjoyed how some of the photographs were similar in composition and subject, yet by the change in color the scene was able to take on a whole new meaning. Some create a feeling of calm and serenity, such as the blue and green, others of warmth and excitement such as the orange and yellow.
5. Yancey Richardson: Olivo Barbieri, Alps – Geographies and People
This exhibit was interesting as it was similar to the previous exhibit since they both involved a form of manipulation of environment, however this one seemed to be the only exhibit that relied on digital tools to create the artist’s desired effect. Barbieri took photographs of climbers in the alps and removed detail of the mountains in a way that still allowed you to see the forms of the structures while emphasizing the subjects. His use of color gave the feel of the cold, crisp mountain air and the adventurous spirit of the climbers. His use of photo-manipulation was extremely successful because at first look it didn’t seem as if the the photos were manipulated until you got closer and could see some of the shadows and highlights were removed to create and even, smooth surface with no texture. The photos reminded me of my trip to Switzerland this summer where I had the opportunity to hike an 8200 foot tall mountain in the Alps. As I looked at these pictures I felt like I was breathing the fresh air up there, feeling the cool breeze and witnessing the incredible view from above.
6. David Zwirner Gallery: Phillip Lorca DiCorsia, Hustlers
This exhibit was my absolute favorite of the six we saw. I was so interested in it and drawn to the experience that I didn’t take notes. DiCorsia’s use of real hustlers in their actual environments made these pieces powerful and authentic. I didn’t feel as if it was an actor trying to be something they weren’t, and I could feel the pain and strife of those in these pictures leading these lives as well as some of the hope still living within them. I found it interesting that the subject was centered in each photo as the person was the center of the story. Depth of field varied in the photos as some warranted the use of shallow depth of field to keep sole focus on the subject, while others kept the entire environment clear as it was important to the story. The use of light and dark gave the feeling that these people were living in the shadows looking towards the light, but still remaining hidden in the underbelly of society. In each of these photos I felt like there was someone who once had some kind of hope or dream and somehow got pulled into the life they are in now and are on the outside, looking in. My favorite photo in the collection was of the hustler standing in a parking bay, directly underneath a light and looking up. I felt as if the subject was looking up to the light to a higher power and still having some form of hope as he lives in the shadows. Another favorite of mine was of the hustler standing in a doorway smoking a cigarette with the shadows with the smoke shown clearly from the sun shining from behind. The rest of the room was bare, with nothing to distract from the subject, yet still giving a feeling of emptiness.
