Rob Stephenson: From Roof to Table
Camera Club of New York - January 9th, 2013
Artist Rob Stephenson's first show at the Camera Club of New York From Roof to Table is a testament to the strength and adaptability of New Yorkers. Stephenson set out with a large format camera to document how members of all boroughs of New York have learned to grow their own food in the urban environment. The photographs are a visual example of how to implement a sustainable food system in a large city where most produce and food is shipped in from thousands of miles away.
Stephenson's portraits are particularly striking and he noted that this was the first time he had really done portraits before. When I asked how he found all these farms and people he said, "A lot of google-ing and driving." It was a year long project for the photographer and made possible by the Camera Club of New York and the Design Trust for Public Space. As a viewer I was struck with the size and detail of the prints and could not help but think of my urban environment in a completely new way.
- Elena Mudd