Book Review: New York, New York
Jeremy & Alton, 2019 © Marie Tomanova
Written by: Grace Russell
Copy edited by: Ben Blavat
New York City-based photographer Marie Tomanova has continuously captured the lustrous minds of America's youth. In her newly released photobook, New York, New York, the city's essence is exhibited through intimate photographs of vibrant life.
Tomanova was raised in Mikulov, Czech Republic. She initially studied painting but later decided to move to New York in 2012 to pursue photography. Having no connections and taking a risk for herself, she expanded her career and came into her own, much like the subjects captured in her images. She sees the city as a gateway to opportunity, opening doors for individuals to achieve their dreams and aspirations.
Kate & Odie (Laughing), 2019 © Marie Tomanova
New York City is known as a place of diversity, welcoming the different and embracing the unique. Tomanova wanted to emphasize how important it is to live in a community that encourages you to be yourself, and this motif is clearly present throughout the collection. You'll find couples proudly displaying their love, downtown party scenes, people walking down the bustling streets of Manhattan. Each image conveys a strong feeling of inclusivity and invites the viewer to relive the memory of the photograph.
Harley & Poster Boy, 2019 © Marie Tomanova
The use of landscapes throughout the images highlights the link between inclusivity and location, sharing the importance of a city open to the come and go of diverse individuals. In the cover photograph, Ayana (2020), a woman undresses on a Brooklyn rooftop as the sun sets behind her. The image's free-spirited nature is unquestionable.
Ellia & Quinn, 2019 © Marie Tomanova
Kiwi, 2020 © Marie Tomanova
The images for New York, New York were assembled over the past few years and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The collection illustrates an incredibly honest depiction of connection while also expressing the importance of individuality. Each image also gives off a certain feeling of vulnerability, a recurring theme throughout Tomanova's portraits.
Tomanova’s knack for intimately capturing the lives of others in the world in which they created themselves is an essential part of what makes her who she is as an artist. Portraying an individual in their own space shows the importance of personal landscape: a significant change from depicting the city as a whole.
Alina, 2019 © Marie Tomanova
Seashell, 2019 © Marie Tomanova
New York, New York, published by Hatje Cantz Verlag in Germany, will be available in the U.S. in September. The book can be purchased directly from the publisher’s website.
