N.Y.C. Possibly 1973 - 1994

Editor: This photograph, "N.Y.C." by Richard Gordon, possibly taken between 1973 and 1994, layers a street scene with a store window display. It gives me a surreal, almost dreamlike feeling, because of the superimposition of the images. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The layering, I think, is key. The image speaks to the multiple, often conflicting realities that exist, particularly within urban environments. This feels especially poignant given the photograph's potential timeframe—think about the rise of consumer culture, set against economic inequalities and the ongoing struggles for visibility and representation of marginalized communities in NYC at that time. What story do you think the reflections of the building façades create here? Editor: It's as if the city itself is imposing its identity onto the curated image of beauty displayed in the window, disrupting this idea of flawless consumerism. Curator: Exactly! The gaze of the oversized head is interesting to me. Who benefits from these distorted portrayals of beauty and consumer aspiration that serve the structures in place? The blurred figures on the street highlight this divide. Are they the audience? Or are they excluded, merely part of the city's scenery that the advert hopes to ignore? Editor: So, the image becomes less about the beauty it depicts and more about the complex system that creates and sustains it, and, of course, excludes so many in its shadow. It is so interesting to think of it as part of this struggle, especially when this division continues today. Curator: Precisely! The artist's engagement offers us a complex visual poem about urban life. I find these critical conversations around art fascinating!