It is always fascinating to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Bernice Abbott’s Exhibition, recently displayed at the Marlborough Gallery, located at 545 W 25th St., New York, NY, shows you precisely the world she was living in during her time in the city. As soon as you step into the second floor exhibition space, where her artwork has been specially selected and placed along the walls, your heart may flutter for just a moment.
This exhibition consists of over 50 photographs taken by Abbott, most of which were shot in the 1930s. She had a keen eye for architecture and urban design, which comes across strongly in her work. While you walk around the room you can feel a sense of the life that she lived, the places she went, and the way that she saw the city, so uniquely.
One of the great works in this collection is a photograph of Gay Street from the corner of Christopher Street, c. 1948. It looks to be a simple photograph of a street displayed in glass on the wall. But, as you look closer, you notice a man on the side of the road in the distance, working on what looks to be a large beer keg type object. Behind him, toward the right, is a parked car in front of a few townhouses. The scene looks quiet. The sunlight shines through the street hitting the front of the apartment buildings gently, creating contrast between their stone walls and the dark fire escapes that run down them. There is a curvature to the street that makes you wonder what might be happening on the other side. Depth is displayed through the various building heights and shadows that Abbott captured. This photograph looks so simple, but makes you think so much about the setting in which it was taken. The contrast and lighting creates emotion and tone. The texture and dimension that is shot within this piece pulls you in in a way that allows you to feel the air of the city. When you stare at the piece for long enough, it almost feels like you were there, on that street, walking down about to take a turn into the unknown.
When taking her photographs, Abbott most often used a Century Universal Camera, which processed 8×10 negatives. Thus, as you walk through the exhibition space, you can see that almost every photograph displayed is an original 8×10 print made by Abbott herself, with the use of one of these cameras. Being in front of original photographs, developed by the artist directly, provides a type of historic connection that can really only be felt in the room. There is a sense of old life filling the gallery space that can make you feel like you were there at the same time, forming a relationship of past and present. You can almost feel her presence in the room, standing beside you with her camera set up and ready to go. It is thrilling to imagine, but even more exciting to see her art so up close and personal.
Bernice Abbott’s photographs read like a beautifully written book. They open a window into a world you may never have stepped foot into before. She had an eye for the world that many do not possess. The more you stare at one of her images, the more you learn, the more you wonder, the more you feel. Their rich contrast and well determined compositions hold them to a great height. Powerful emotions exude through the frames, so encapsulating.
Each image that was so thoughtfully chosen by Marlborough Gallery adds a sense of meaning to the exhibition. They channel the energy of the area at the time and take us through a journey of the world in which Bernice Abbott walked. For the person who searches for depth and beauty in the world around them, this exhibition will prove to be exquisitely curated and a wonderful time.