Nightlife | Marlborough Gallery
WEEGEE, Lovers at the Palace Theatre, 1945, gelatin silver print © Weegee, courtesy of Howard Greenberg Gallery
Written by Lauren Levesque
Captivating the nocturnal hours of city life is an entertaining task at minimum. The Directors of Marlborough New York, are pleased to release Nightlife, a group exhibition featuring some of the most iconic and time-capturing images by six of the most significant photographers of the twentieth century. This exhibition permits and captures the hedonistic activities that occur once the sun sets, featuring works by Berenice Abbott, Brassai, Bill Brandt, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, and Weegee. Ultimately, this collection will show subversive fashions and different subcultures from dusk to dawn. Nightlife opened on March 7th and will continue until April 20th, 2024.
In the Nightlife collection, the way the different photographers were able to capture the eccentric lives of individuals that existed at night is something unique to each photographer. The New York-based photographer Weegee used a more documentary-style approach. In the image Lovers at the Palace Theatre, the sense of one's world comes to mind. The viewers can see the two lovers completely encapsulated within each other, ignoring all other individuals surrounding them. The crowd seems indifferent to the lovers and only cares about the film. The feeling of obsessive puppy love comes to mind when viewing how entangled the lovers are within each other.
Newton, Security, New York III, 1976, gelatin silver paint © Helmut Newton Foundation. Image Courtesy of Malborough New York.
Film noir, S&M, and surrealism influence the motivation that drives Newton. The provocative images he captured and inspired exhibit a dark feminine need for sensuality and touch. Helmut Newton's Security, New York III demonstrates a love for the hedonistic side of New York City. In the image, an attractive young woman who is half-naked opens her door to be able to glimpse at an individual. However, the chain across the door ignites a sense of possible danger that looms within. In addition, this image attacks the viewer's mind because of whether she lets the individual inside or not.
Throughout these photographs, what becomes clear is the seductiveness of city life at night. All of the artists were able to capture the indiscreet behavior of individuals and their prowess that leaks out. The time period and black-and-white photographs only add to the layer of mystique and beauty that the film captures.
Bill Brandt, In the Public Bar at Charlie Brown’s, Limehouse, 1942, gelatin silver print mounted on board. © Bill Brandt/ Bill Brandt Archive. Image Courtesy of Marlborough New York.
