The Photographer:

Bruce Davidson was born in 1993, in Oak Park, Illinois, where he grew up. His interest in photography emerged at the very young age of ten, so his mother built him a dark room so that his interest and talent in photography could flourish. He practiced photography in Chicago until he came to New York to attend Rochester University. He is well known for his documentary photography, such as that of the civil rights movement. Some of his well know pieces of work include The Dwarf, Brooklyn Gang, Freedom Rides, East 100^th Street, and Subway. For his work, he has received the Lucie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Photography, and the Gold Medal Lifetime Achievement Award.

-Bruce Davidson

The photographs taken by him mostly focus on the people’s daily lives and their struggles. In Subway and East 100^th Street, the photographs reveal the intimate aspects of a New York life, which are often overshadowed by the superficial lights and “bling” of Manhattan that New York City is known for. The photographs commentate on the everyday aspects of a typical New Yorker. A New Yorker would find the photographs to be quite relatable. They relate to the parts of city that people experience on a daily basis that are not as shiny and sparkly as what the city may seem to be from the outside—the photographs put things into perspective for someone not familiar with such aspects of New York.

The Photograph:

-From Subway Series, 1980

The photograph I chose comes from Davidson’s Subway series. The Subway is such a huge part of the lives of so many New Yorkers, that it is quite noteworthy when talking about New York. This photograph successfully captures a great detail about the New York subway. It reminds us of the numerous performers that board the train for a short performance in hopes of receiving some money from the passengers.

The photograph consists of the inside of a train car filled with graffiti, with a saxophone player in the foreground, behind whom a passenger is sitting. As seen in the background, often these passengers are sleeping, or simply ignoring these performers. When looking at the photograph, one can imagine hearing the sounds of the saxophone mingling and mixing with the sounds of the train speeding through the tracks. Although today the train cars are not covered with heavy graffiti, the essence of the photograph plays well with the general subway experience.

The photo depicts the inside of a dimly lit subway car, filled with graffiti. Soft, subtle shadows, the sitting passenger’s black coat and cap, along with the bold black lines from the graffiti and the performer’s jacket also heighten the sense of dimness that the lighting creates. The yellow and green squares and the shiny, golden saxophone provide contrast for the type of lighting inside the train. The lines in the graffiti and the performer’s jacket also have a repetition that almost represent, or give a sense of, the hurry and restlessness that exists in a typical New Yorker’s day.

The thick black lines on the performer’s jacket harmonize with similar lines in the graffiti, in a way making the performer part of the everyday subway journey along with other passengers. At the same time, his jacket and saxophones are one of the few pops of color in the photograph, and contrast the rest of the background, making him a unique figure among the passengers. Thus, he simultaneously blends into and stands out from the other passengers in a general New York subway ambiance.

Other Photos by Bruce Davidson from Subway:

Me And New York City:

One of the other photographers I stumbled upon was Jeffrey Milstein. His aerial photograph of Columbus Circle caught my attention, not only because of its magnificence and the beautiful angle by which the photograph was taken, but also because in a way it summed up my interaction with the city this semester.

As a mostly introverted person not really going outside and exploring the city much, I had the chance the to explore New York City to a greater extent over the course of this semester. We had to go to the Macaulay Honors College as well as other different locations to watch plays, operas, and other performances, and I often got off at the 59^th St Columbus Circle station. I walked around the city at night with my friends along this station as well. It was a connecting point that facilitated my interactions with the city.

Some of Milstein’s other photographs:

Sources:

http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1975355_2094338,00.html

https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/bruce-davidson/

http://pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2K7O3RJ02XJZ

https://pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2K7O3R1W4D2W

https://www.looperman.com/loops/tags/royalty-free-sax-loops-samples-sounds-wavs-download

http://www.freesfx.co.uk/sfx/subway

https://untappedcities.com/2016/07/29/stunning-aerial-photos-of-nyc-by-jeffrey-milstein-express-geometrical-nature-of-cities