“When you are in the Subway, what is beautiful appears bestial, and what is bestial appears beautiful.” -Bruce Davidson
The art house C/O Berlin hosts now one of the most stunning street photographers of the century. The era is already given in the description:
“New York, start of the 1980s. A gloomy urban sprawl between hedonism and abyss. The subway, in its dilapidated state, is a hazardous place. Fires in tunnels, muggings, murder and drug trafficking are the order of the day; overcrowded wagons, frequent delays, graffiti and dirt everywhere. The journey with public transport is a nightmare. The photographer Bruce Davidson boards the train, immerses himself in the raging, rattling hustle and bustle of the city and portraits the passengers between uniformity and diversity, anonymity and intimacy, depression and inspiration. Whether lovers, musicians, homeless people, tourists or business people – in the subway and its passengers he finds the perfect metaphor for life in the metropolis with its aggression and ugliness, its hope and humanity.”
The dark moody images from Subway, loaded with lighting effects, showcase the grit, beauty, and strong ambiance of New York’s colorful underworld. By using an extreme wide-angle lens and utilizing light and color to accentuate subjects, Davidson also takes a stylistic leap in Subway, whereas in Central Park he depicts the park as a magical and ethereal setting, a place of innovation in the middle of one of the world’s largest cities. He presents the convergence of people from completely different backgrounds. The contradiction is amazing.
Take the chance to explore Bruce Davidson’s Subway at c/o Berlin until the 20th of May.
