EXPOSE FOR THE SHADOWS
Featuring: Victor Blue, Jesus Emmanuel, Belinda Gallegos, Edward Grattan, Carolina Jimenez, Mike Kamber, Ignacio Leonidas, Dave Benjamin Lopez, Coco McPherson, Lenny Medina, Ricardo J. Partida, Maggie Perrier, Eugenio Pizzorno, Gregorio Reyes, Carlos de la Sancha, Corey Torpie, Javier Villareal, Brian Young
Expose for the Shadows: The B&W Silver Gelatin Printing Workshop Exhibition is hosted by the Bronx Documentary Center. Curated by students of acclaimed photographer and master printer Brian Young, this collection showcases the meticulous process and beauty of analog photography. Each piece represents the journey from capturing a perfect negative to creating a striking silver gelatin print.
This exhibition is an ode to the depth, texture, and unique character of traditional film photography, offering a contrasting perspective to the digital age. It invites viewers to immerse themselves in the art of monochrome imagery, where each print is not just an image, but a story told in shades of grey.
Artists' statements:
Victor Blue
My grandfather Richard Taylor bred, trained, and raced harness horses for more than 65 years until his death in 2016. I spent the last 10 years of his life photographing him on his farm in central Indiana. He was among the last of a vanishing breed of horsemen, dedicated to the slow and steady cultivation of speed and stamina, racing his own horses, living life on his own terms. He told me once: “The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man.”
He was a character. Tough as nails. But in the last years there there were fewer successful training seasons, but he kept going, quietly frustrated by the physical limitations of his 88 years. He didn’t talk much of the future, or how many seasons he might have left. He started every spring with the promise of speed and soundness. After all so years and so many horses, his approach never wavered- “I want to know more about a horse tomorrow than I do today.”
This story is my exploration of my grandfather, of his passion for horses, and of what it means to be driven by the obsessions that keep us alive. Photography is about time, and I wanted to hold on to some of it with him.
Captions: (1) Mares in the snow- Broodmares feed in a pasture at my grandad Richard Taylor’s farm in 1999.; (2) Trotters- Richard Taylor works with one of his horses, 2011.; (3) Portrait of the Horseman- Richard Taylor at home in 2011.
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Jesus Emmanuel
This piece was inspired by all the bits of photo paper I’ve used while learning the magical process of darkroom printing. Surrounded by these many strips of paper, I became a spectator to a silent tragedy where the paper is the victim of the artist's passion and perseverance. Many of these test strips and scraps will end up forgotten and floating in chemical baths, curled dry on screen racks, or abandoned inside the deep void of a trash can. Ultimately only one paper will be fortunate enough to carry the visual idea of a dreamer. This self-portrait is a visual exploration that celebrates the importance of the paper as a symbol of creativity and self awareness. Motivated by the tragic comedy of the paper, I created this photomontage that resembles a puzzle, using eleven individually exposed prints that together make up a portrait, a life. For this self-portrait I organized all the papers onto a “map” that I previously designed to serve as a guide in the darkness. Then I placed the map under an enlarger that lights up projecting the image over every photosensitive paper surface. Subsequently, detach the papers from the map and immerse them individually in the developer to reveal an image made by all the oxidized silver that exists on each paper. Every single paper was meticulously washed with chemical removers and fresh water, air dried for a day, and finally ironed so it could be placed in its designated spot to create a whole photograph of myself.
Caption: Autorretrato, Jesus Emmanuel, The Bronx, NY 2023. Silver Gelatin Fiber Paper (2) 5x7”, (4) 8x10”, (5) 11x14”
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Belinda Gallegos
Sylvia—In this photographic series, I hope to capture the endearing personality of my neighbor, Sylvia, a young woman with Down Syndrome. Sylvia's world is a whimsical blend of childlike wonder and the joy derived from her favorite Disney princess characters, particularly those from Frozen. This visual narrative explores her newfound companionship with Princess, a kitten gifted to her by her brother on her birthday.
Captions: (1) Sylvia and Princess, her kitten, pose for the camera in their bedroom.; (2) Are my glasses clean? Sylvia checking her glasses. (3) Like a princess, Sylvia with her tiara.
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Edward Grattan
Edward is a Salvadoran-American photographer focusing on non-fiction photography. Currently based in New York City, Edward is concerned with topics across migration, social movements, and under-represented communities. Candid life, portraiture and travel photography are significant in his overall work.
Captions: (1) Big Bend National Park, Texas, 2021: (2) Butterflies. Pride Parade, New York City, 2021; (3) Bubbles on Literary Walk, New York CIty. 2022
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Carolina Jimenez
Captions: (1) Ana Mercedes; (2) Ambrilla
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Mike Kamber
I've always been fascinated by the cameras' unique ability to freeze time--to capture the moment before things change. Living in Brooklyn in the 1990s was a time when things seemed too good to be true--cheap rents, big lofts, open riverfront, artists and factory workers living side by side. I knew it was not going to last, and I went out many days with an old Polaroid camera loaded with positive/negative film, (I think it was #669). It gave you a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 inch image. Wonderful stuff, you could give someone the print and take the negative home in a ziploc bag with sodium sulfite. The negs got scratched and solarized but that was the price of the ticket. Those are the images you see here. The 90's in Brooklyn, and in NYC, was not a perfect time at all, but this was years before 9/11, before everything really changed. We were freer, and every inch of land was not someone's investment.
Captions: All photos Brooklyn, 1997
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Ignacio Leonidas
For the past ten years, I have been working on projects related to the cultural footprint of the indigenous communities of Tierra del Fuego. I seek to uncover the many complexities of Fuegian identity through images that offer insights into the layering of traditional and modern life.
Captions: (1) Catalina Yagán, matriarch of the Yaghan Paiakoala Indigenous Community, sits on the porch of her ranch which is situated in the territory that the community has claimed ancestral ownership of.
(2) Nicole Xiomara Weiss, CatalinaYagán's great-granddaughter, wearing Yagan ceremonial face painting.
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Dave Benjamin Lopez
Whispers of Smoke: Portraits from the Streets of New York—La ciudad de Nueva York a través de una serie de fotografías que documenta la danza fugaz del humo de cigarrillo, capturada con una Nikon de 35mm y film Kodak T Max 100. Cada imagen revela la conexión única entre el individuo y su entorno urbano, explorando la dualidad entre lo efímero y lo eterno. Esta poesía visual, donde el cigarro se convierte en un pincel que pinta historias inauditas en el lienzo de la vida urbana.
The city of New York through a series of photographs documenting the fleeting dance of cigarette smoke, captured with a Nikon 35mm camera and Kodak T Max 100 film. Each image reveals the unique connection between the individual and their urban surroundings, delving into the ephemeral and eternal duality. This visual poetry, where the cigarette becomes a brush painting of unheard stories on urban life's canvas.
Captions: (1) The Worker is on break. Bronx, NY, 2022; (2) The Barber of the West Village, New York, NY, 2022; (3) Un Boricua en Nueva York, New York, NY, 2022
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Lenny Medina
In my photography project, 'Life Through 4 x 5 Lenses,' I aim to share meaningful moments that hold significance for me. Utilizing a 4 x 5 camera, I've captured fragments of my past, my current reality, and the unfolding future. Each person depicted in these photos signifies a distinct chapter in my life.
These three silver gelatin prints show how I've grown as a photographer and printer with my 4 x 5 camera. I hope when you see them, you can feel the growth and my love for photography. I want these photos to tell you a story about how I used to feel lost and without faith, working as a janitor, not knowing what to do. Now, they show where I am today.
Captions:
(1) Where I’m Going “Jaquelin, Upstate New York 2023”
(2) When I was a school custodian. “Mary Lou, Bronx New York 2023”
(3) When I found my Faith. “Marty, Bronx New York 2023”
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Coco McPherson
A Monochrome Set—I made this work along parade routes in New York City. I’ve always been attracted to the after-party, that period when a parade officially ends and a different kind of street theater begins. In those moments, I look for sharp silhouettes in dramatic and difficult light that can take days in the darkroom to dodge and burn.
Captions: (1) Fifth Avenue; (2) Easter; (3) Chinatown
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Ricardo J. Partida
Las Sierras—Over the past year, I have been photographing the communities of Oaxaca, a region close to my heart due to the connections I've made with its people in the United States. I am to highlight the contrast between generations and their adherence to these traditions. The lengthy journeys to reach these remote communities deepen my connection to my Mexican heritage, a sentiment that is integral to me. The darkroom process allows me to slow down and deeply engage with the memories and experiences of my time in Oaxaca.
Captions: (1) Pinotepa Girls, 2023; (2) Villa Alta Trunk, 2023; (3) Doña Mari & Don Juan, 2023
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Maggie Perrier
Maggie Perrier lives in Jackson Heights Queens, New York, and works as a graphic designer in Manhattan.
Captions: (1) Jackson Heights, Queens, 2021; (2) Financial District, Manhattan, 2018; (3) Jackson Heights, Queens, 2022
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Eugenio Pizzorno
47th Street—47th Street marks the initial chapter of an ongoing series centered on Manhattan's renowned Diamond District, spanning the bustling block between 5th and 6th Avenue.
These images capture the liminal space between public streets and private parlors, offering a reflection on the human condition and its tendency to wealth accumulation.
Viewers are invited to explore the interplay between the bright allure of immortal diamonds and the dark interior depths of the people who animate the district.
Captions:
(1) Courier
(2) Window 4
(3) Window 7
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Gregorio Reyes
Puentes si, Muros no—Los puentes son una conexión entre los pueblos y las naciones del mundo. Para una mejor cooperación, entendimiento y progreso de la gente. Gregorio Reyes es un fotógrafo nacido en Puebla México y radicado en East Harlem, New York, NY.
Bridges yes, walls no—Bridges are a connection between the people and nations of the world. For better cooperation, understanding and progress of people. Gregorio Reyes is a photographer born in Puebla Mexico and based in East Harlem, New York, NY.
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Carlos de la Sancha
retro-ceder
as we fled
i was not supposed to look back
yet
we both did
My whole life has been broken down into episodes by the different times I have moved. The most recent started two years ago. This move is supposed to be long term. Throughout my life I have always heard the people around refer to different places as “home”, fly back home, go back home. No place made me feel particularly comfortable. Only ideas of space and people, and the memories created there. In January 2023 I went back, I went back not only geographically to visit my family, but I also went back emotionally to family dynamics that I had escaped from. I went back, retrocedí, but I kept moving, I kept looking for what I want for myself. This trip was marked by different accidents in the highway which prevented us from moving forward, but I kept moving on, searching for what it means to belong. Jean Cocteau says in his Orpheus trilogy: “I am haunted by crimes I have not yet committed.” And by moving on, I, too, am haunted by abandoning a place which I never belonged to, which never fully took me in; creating new memories that will only live inside of me, new memories which I’ll call my own, my home.
Captions: (1) Fishermen push the boat after a fruitful morning fishing. (2) Kitchen for one of the restaurants at the beachside. Low season is usually quiet for the workers. (3) West facade of the house where Maestro Rodrigo built his family in Santa Maria Jalapa del Marques, Oaxaca.
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Corey Torpie
This series of portraits explores time spent with my family and reconnecting with the medium of black and white film photography. As a working photographer I mostly work in the digital medium and respond to tight deadlines. Starting in 2020 I began to work with medium format film, photographing my children through our daily activities. Working this way allowed me to slow down and reconnect to what I enjoy most about photography, capturing fleeting moments and appreciating how beautiful our everyday life can be.
Captions: (1) Picnic, 2020; (2) Breakfast, 2023; (3) The Pink Chair, 2020
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Brian Young
Captions: Reflection on a Sunbeam. This Sunbeam Toaster Model-40 introduced in the early 1950's was the preeminent wedding gift of the its time. M and Mme Philippe raised 4 children in Ville Emard, Montreal and their marriage, like their toaster, was well cared for, working flawlessly and shining as brightly as the day they were married.
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Opening Reception: Friday, January 19, 2024, 6:30PM
On View: January 19 - February 18, 2024
Gallery Hours: Thurs-Fri 3-7PM + Sat-Sun 1-5PM
Free admission