Above image: Hanno Otten, NY 18
The current exhibition at Janet Borden Gallery features photos typifying summertime in the city. With gallery artists including Tina Barney, Martin Parr, Jan Groover, and Neil Winokur contributing to the show, each photo captures city life in a variety of perspectives.
Neil Winokur, Coffee Cup
The exhibition is certainly a lighthearted one, with the nostalgia and color that summertime brings. From the simplicity of a disposable coffee cup to a long exposure of traffic lights streaking through the night, the photos represent the feeling of city life. However, despite the easygoing theme, the photographs are a little haunting.
Martin Parr, UAE, Dubai, The Gulf Art Fair, 2007
With only a few faces appearing throughout the exhibition, the environments seem empty and lonely, as cities can often be. We expect the summer to be full of freedom and naturally cheerful demeanors, thanks to being raised with the long summer break from school. But as adults, the workday doesn't pause, and we're filled with a sense of missing out. We're still surrounded by the whirling city lights, music in the park, being just a train ride away from the beach, but instead wrap ourselves in occupations and obligations. The photos of the City Views exhibitions brag about summer cheer, giving the rest of us some major FOMO.
Text by Ashely Minyard