Neal Slavin

American. Born 1941

NYC Transit Authority (from the series When Two or More are Gathered Together)

No date

11” x 14”

Ektacolor Photograph

Gift

Information and Technology Building, 5th floor, Room 548

Neal Slavin is known for his group portraits and has photographed groups of all shapes and sizes, from religious groups, to bingo players, to twin conventions, and everything in between. Slavin rarely gave direction to the groups, finding it fascinating to see how the group chose to arrange themselves. NYC Transit Authority is an Ektacolor photograph showing a group of New York City Transit workers gathered in front of a subway train car. The Transit Authority workers are all wearing their uniforms, opting to pose in a way that suggests they are a family. NYC Transit Authority reveals the individual workers’ spirits while also capturing the character of the group as a whole. During a time when black and white photography was considered the only art photography, Slavin started using color in his work because he wanted the portraits to be as accurate and descriptive as possible. Although Slavin traveled around the United States with an assistant and full lighting equipment to create the When Two or More are Gathered Together series, many of the group portraits are at well-known sites in New York City, including the Holland Tunnel, the Staten Island Ferry, and the Statue of Liberty.

Label and audio guide by Stephanie O’Brien, graduate student in the Arts Administration program at Baruch College.