The latest Joel Meyerwitz book reveals a New York artist’s reaction to the devastation of 9/11.

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Told in a huge tome, this photographic recounting of the time following that tragic event, is a moving monument. Each page is tough to see, but you have to look.

This has been a year of examination of 9/11 in so many mediums, perhaps 5 years is a magic number.
If you are in NYC you should go to some of the related exhibits. While you are at the Brooklyn Museum for the Annie Leibowitz show, stop off and see an exhibit entitled : Looking Back from Ground Zero: Images from the Brooklyn Museum Collection

I wouldn’t call it the perfect holiday book, but one that you really should own.

In a rediscovery of the positive things…

He has now embarked on a historical project of a much different nature, still set in his beloved city.

Joel Meyerowitz has been asked by the New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe to spend a year photographing more than 50 parks throughout New York City and surrounding communities, beginning in January 2006.

The project is called “A Year in the Parks”

These parcels of wilderness are hidden to many except for those living on their perimeter.

At PhotoPlus Expo this year, Mr. Meyerowitz spoke lovingly of the project and estimated by its completion, he will have an archive of approximately 10,000 images.

Now I wouldn’t call these park lands the wilderness that time forgot, but more of a pointed acknowledgement to things many of us may have missed, right in our own..ok, here it comes…back yard.

But isn’t that what photgraphy does? Shows you something in a special way or frames a part of the world we may have missed ?

At the talk, Joel showed almost 50 of the images he has shot so far. Of course the question came up
” what are you shooting with?”

Large format and medium format film cameras.

With a small digital to keep a record.

Asked and answered. Not really the point.

So keep this in the back of your mind for awhile.
And maybe take a closer, slower look at your world.

Cheers!
Damon Webster