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“Suppose
we took a thousand negatives...
combining the elegances, the squalor, the curiosities, the monuments,
the sad faces, the triumphant faces, the power, the irony, the strength,
the decay, the past, the present, the future of a city — that
would be my favorite picture.” BERENICE
ABBOTT
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| ABOUT
NEW YORK CHANGING |
| New
York Changing, the current body of work by New York City photographer
Douglas Levere, is a photographic record of the ever-changing landscape
of New York City. Guided by Berenice Abbott’s 1930’s project
Changing New York, Levere revisited neighborhoods and former storefronts,
documenting the evolution of the metropolis known for constantly reinventing
itself. |
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| The
paired images produce a remarkable commentary on the evolution of
New York City over several decades and encourage the viewer to consider
the rate and meaning of progress. This juxtaposition of the past and
present comes with obvious changes: the brownstone becomes a housing
project, the neighborhood store becomes a skyscraper. Often, however,
the encounter results in a more subtle reflection of the changing
tides of our culture. |
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| A chance
glimpse at Abbott’s “Broadway near Broome Street”
in Manhattan launched Levere’s project. As it happened, the
location of the photograph was the doorstep of Levere’s SoHo
loft. “It was the view I see walking out of my door every day,”
Levere said. “I was mesmerized.” In an instant, the contrast
between Abbott’s photograph and the image in his mind spoke
volumes about the history of his neighborhood, and the people who
had made their lives in New York City. Levere, a University at Buffalo
graduate and Manhattan-based freelance photographer, has spent much
of the last six years researching, planning, and scouting these rephotographs.
With meticulous attention to detail, he duplicated the composition,
techniques, and even used Abbott’s own large format camera.
Each shot was taken at the same time of year and same time of day
as Abbott’s, even, in one location, waiting for the hands on
an outdoor clock to move to the same minute before releasing the shutter. |
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| The
final touring exhibition and book will feature my photographs side
by side with vintage Abbott prints. I feel this project will spark
a dialogue on the past, present, and future of our ever-changing urban
landscape. |
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