New York is one of the most diverse and striking places out there. From its urban streets, to townhouses, to the beautiful lights of Times Square, New York is a center for artistic exploration and individualism.
Jill Freedman is a photographer who immersed herself in this cultural city. Capturing only the small and hidden gems of New York that represented what it held. In John Leland’s article, For a Street Photographer, ‘The Weirder, the Better’, he shows us her image of New York.
Ms. Freedman worked behind her lenses from the mid 1960s until the late 1980s, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Using only black and white, Freedman’s photography aimed to “avoid cloaking it under a veil of pretty.” She captured what others avoided, the cold, hard, truth of New York. What made it special, the small things and also the gruesome truths that existed.
As Leland quotes, she sought, “beggars, panhandlers, people sleeping on the street,” the police and the firefighters, the people washed ashore by forces bigger than themselves. “It’s the theater of the streets,” she said. “The weirder, the better.” 
But that was then. After she returned to New York in the 2000s, it was not the same city. What Freedman sought to capture, to explore, and to expose was instead replaced and hidden even deeper. The culture that she knew, the “disintegration that had seemed permanent” had disappeared and was replaced “by an order that felt even more insubstantial.”
Leland’s article brings up the dark truth about our culture. With innovation and movement, the treasures of our city, the hidden society of our streets, are disappearing. He uses the perspective of a photographer who lived through her lenses. Who photographed what she saw on streets, what New York was really about, not the one shown through glamorous pictures for advertisement and to attract tourist. An invisible community that lived within a bigger one.
It’s hard to believe how different everything had become. That if you step back and think, the New York of then, has been lost, pushed back into a corner and concealed. Leland’s article, made me realize that instead of just looking at the bigger picture, the small details also matter. That although innovation and advancement is important, we cannot forget the foundation of our city. What New York really is made of. The weird, yet normal things that occur. The small things that make life interesting.
New York City is such an interesting place. I lived in a small and rural town. When I moved from that small town to New York City, I was exposed to many different types of people. In the small town, most of the population was white. However in New York City, it is much more diverse. This article reminds of the page for Humans of New York. There are so many interesting people in New York. Through Freedman and HONY we can glimpse a bit into the lives of various New Yorkers.
Like many big cities, there is a huge contrast in New York City – the rich and the poor, the attractive and the unattractive, so on and so forth. When looking at New York City as a whole, we automatically think of Times Square, bright lights, towering skyscrapers, and a bunch of rude New Yorkers. But when looking closer, which this photographer does, there are many hidden secrets of New York City – some that are not so pretty. We have a huge population of the homeless, poor neighborhoods, and areas where some people will not feel comfortable walking through alone. This artist captures the actual truth of the city that many tourists dream about visiting.
One of the things that I love most about photographers is how they allow you to see things through their eyes. Before reading your post, I never thought I’d be nostalgic for weird. But, the weirdness brings truth because the truth is stranger than fiction. I do not believe New York City has become less weird, I believe we just have started to overlook the weird and accept it as ordinary. I think we should, as you suggested, look closer and appreciate the finer details of our city.
I think that the changes that you are referring to originated with Ed Koch and his campaign to clean up the city. The following mayors did not necessarily ignore the city’s past, but tried to move on and make it a more hospitable place to be in. Mayor Dinkins followed through with Koch’s view and also tried to eliminate crime. With a reduction in criminal activity, I believe you also reduce the amount of “odd” people or sights within the city. Dinkins also created lasting revenue for this city with fees for large events that allowed even more improvement of our city, attracting average americans.
Before reading your article, I had never thought about the culture that existed before now, and how it may have been left behind or buried. Culture itself is a constantly evolving entity, and it hardly stays the same for too long. However, I think that the perspective that you brought up in your post is very interesting. I agree with you that New York City highlights it’s prettiest and most glamorous scenes, though that is not all there is to see. After reading your article, I can think of moments where the “invisible community” is suppressed for the sake of those who aren’t, which seems rather archaic, but is clearly a modern phenomenon. Because of this, I appreciate photographers like Jill Freedman who avoids what is aesthetically pleasing and seeks to capture the most genuine parts of New York City. And that is just as much a part of this city as the Empire State Building.
New York City is indeed a very “weird” place. Just the other day, I saw a sixty year old man wearing a bikini, riding around lexington avenue on a tricycle. While the artist argues that the weirdness of the city has receded and is hiding in the shadows, my experiences tell me otherwise. Instead of hiding, I believe the city’s culture of weirdness has changed. Leland is searching for a past form of weirdness centered around carnies and corruption. Instead, today’s weirdness is centered around truly expressing oneself in spite of social norms and being a hipster. The old romanticized weirdness of NYC still exists if one looks hard enough, but times have changed and so has the mainstream. Rather than lament this change, we should embrace it and explore the equally as “weird” artistic opportunities found within it.
Whenever I see these photos of New York City that make it seem so clean-cut perfect, I laugh to myself; New York City is not perfect and never will be perfect, but its idiosyncrasies allow it to be forever unique. Consequently, I admired Jill Freedman’s efforts to find New York’s darkest and explicit secrets to share with the rest of the world. Her work is like the ancestor of a now popular blog “Humans of New York,” which explores the darkest secrets of many New Yorkers. Also, I don’t think the weird things are dwindling or harder to find, but rather just flashier and more commonplace, therfore making them seem less weird.
NYC is one of the most unique cities in the world just because it attracts all sorts of people. Many people glorify NYC to be one of the best places in the world (though it is) however, people don’t like to show the negatives of the city or the “weird” areas of the city. No where in the world is perfect, but that is what makes each city unique from one another. Her work is super raw and to the point; her message in each picture clear and allows the audience to easily communicate with the work. She exposes a “world” that not many people get to see, but as a result, it educates the audience to be open minded and educated. No one in NYC is the same, there will always people that have interesting lives or stories on how they came to NYC.
It is true that New York could be one of the most Diverse and Craziest cities in the world. I always considered photograph as one of my side hobbies and envy people who get to capture art for a living. Ms.Freedman happened to be one of those people. Judging by the pictures you presented she was able to capture some unusual and abnormal pictures. Not often do you get to see a picture of a fully grown man in a ballerina costume with a mask on, but thats exactly what makes this pictures so interesting and appealing.
I think that it’s very thoughtful of freedman to capture unnatural images in the surrounding New York’s surroundings. It exposes us to cold, hard truths about life, and also produces creativity and inspires other artists and photographers. The smaller things in the world really do bring to attention the larger scope of our lives.
The city is extremely diverse and exposure to all sorts of people has expanded my view on the world. When I was little my parents would tell me to finish all my food (I was a picky eater) because there were hungry children in poor countries who had nothing. It had very little effect on me. As a middle-class, suburban girl, what did I understand of poverty? Everyone in my town was in the same income bracket. Now in NYC, I feel guilty if I don’t finish my food (usually if I’m too full) because I witness the sufferings of homeless people everyday.
Many of my professors mention that NYC was different 20, 30, even 40 years ago compared to today. Shifting demographics, gentrification, and programs to clean up the city make it a different experience for those who visit after a long time. But I don’t think the weirdness ended; it’s just something we don’t always pause to think about anymore.