The traditional community I attempted to capture was Harlem. Walking down 125th St., I saw such vibrancy, such color. I saw black people showing off their culture in a community that they knew embraced them, accepted them, respected them, and even protected them. I knew I must capture this community, and share it.
After cruising the streets, surreptitiously snapping photos, feeling like an outsider and experiencing paranoia, I almost gave up on capturing Harlem. And then, this weekend past, I had a breakthrough. Harlem artists opened their doors for the Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour and the related Strivers Art Circuit Tour. I was welcomed into the homes and galleries of some of Harlem’s finest artists, for food, for wine, for conversation, and for photos.
This photo collection is a sample of the images I captured.
I think the photos are great.
The only thing I would add to them are shot variations with the local. If they hold these art shows outside on the street or at a park, I think it would be a great opportunity to get some urban landscape in the mix.
Hey Yaphet,
You had a very good idea for this project! Having the artist pose next to her creation is an appropriate, simple approach that is just right because it doesn’t distract us from meeting both the person and the work of art. I think it is very powerful to have the body of the person and her body of work next to each other.
I definitely agree with Susi that these photographs are quite powerful.
I also love the fact that you learned how to talk to them and to get a more natural pose from your subject. It played an especially great role in the portrait of Eli Kince, his open smile emphasizes his work of art and creates a parallel between his personality and outlook.
What I thought could be more emphasized is the relationships between artists, in what way are they a community. You told us that they went to different events together and actualy know each other, but it is not visible in the images. This is probably the case when your notes, connecting all your individual subjects into one, are imperative.
The photos are very lively.The colors in your images work really well together, they make the artists blend in, almost as though they’re part of the artwork.
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