Artists often choose to live in marginalized communities out of economic necessity and do not fit within a specific class structure but rather come from every background imaginable. They are drawn to life on the margins as it represents a distancing from the norm and allows for more freedom of thought and action. Each photographer in Converging Margins due to their long-term relationship with their subjects and through the act of photographing become fixtures of the communities that they are inspired by. However, even thought they emotionally connect to the places and people they photograph they remain different in some way. Due to their perceived difference and through the process of creating their work these artists cross perceived boundaries and show us that ideas of "marginality" or separation are ultimately falsehoods.
All of Juliana Beasley's work deals with those that are perceived as being on the fringes of society. Through BeasleyÕs eyes and lens she offers us views of outcasts that are full of wonder and mystery. BeasleyÕs ongoing series from the Rockaways was shot at the far edge of New York City and focuses on a close-knit community of impoverished social outcasts some of whom are mental illness and who have found themselves exiled. The individuals in her images occupy an alternate world of broken down bars, single room occupancies and frayed social services. Beasley has come to know and feel great affection for the individuals in this community and they have revealed to her the perseverance of the human spirit amid isolation and decay. Beasley still finds friendship, laugher and even love in the Rockaways despite hardship and captures the vitality of her subjects.
Paul D'Amato's work is rooted in an urban experience and specifically in Pilsen which is a Mexican neighborhood in Chicago. D'Amato happened upon Pilsen by accident and was instantly caught up in the neighborhood and has photographed there for many years. D'Amato photographed without really being part of the area until he befriended members of the local gang La Raza. D'Amato was then invited to weddings, house parties and to dinners with local families. However, D'Amato knew that their experience was not his and that while he could understand aspects of their lives ultimately he could not speak for it. What D'Amato hoped for was to photograph from the inside looking out rather than the outside looking in. As D'Amato got to know the area and win the acceptance of its people the neighborhood opened up to him in extraordinary ways. At that point DÕAmato captured images that are uncommon, peculiar and timeless and shot directly from life.
Rachel Dunville now resides in the Missouri's Ozarks where she grew up but which she now explores with new insights as an adult who has traveled and lived in other cities. DunvilleÕs photographs portray complex human exchanges, tenderness and desire between her subjects which are revealed through body language, eyes and gestures. Dunville and her subjects form a mysterious alliance that establishes qualities of curiosity and desire. The people she photograph look straight into the camera and her images reveal the rapt attention between photographer and subject. DunvilleÕs directly frames her subjects without sentimentality and the decency of the people and their relationships is evident. Dunville shows us a deeply human and multifaceted community and her affection for her neighbors, family and friends is palpable in each image
Lucas FogliaÕs family grew up on a Long Island farm living off the land and bartering in the local community. Thus when Foglia began his undergraduate studies he sought out local community gardens to work in. Foglia's series ÒThe GardenÓ documents the Somerset Community Garden which occupies one square block in the Southside of Providence, Rhode Island. The families who gardened there are of African-American, European, Cambodian, Dominican, Hmong, Laotian or of Liberian origin. Foglia's photographs represent the practical function of the garden: to allow gardeners to produce food for their families and for sale to local markets. But the function of the garden is more complex: the garden fosters dialogue between cultures and enables its gardeners to retain their cultural traditions. The garden becomes a metaphor for the neighborhood and a window into the lives and cultures of the people that it serves. In addition, the image from this series show us that when communities and individuals work together on a project such as a community garden it benefits everyone. In doing so, they transform themselves and their connections to others as well as provide sustenance for themselves, their families and the whole neighborhood.
Richard Gary lives in Brooklyn, New York but for many years has been photographing the disappearing world of his childhood neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia. In New York Gary is a busy photographer with many magazine assignments. When he returns to Newport News, Gary focuses on unchanging aspects of his old neighborhood that have managed to escape decay and neglect and he continues to photograph the local community as it changes and evolves. His black and white images are timeless panoramas of open space from a busy, urban environment. GaryÕs work presents a layered view of his town by portraying universal human moments and transforms everyday instances into the extraordinary due to his fondness and understanding of his hometown.
Lauren Greenfield photographic series "Thin" is an in-depth photographic documentation about the treatment of eating disorders. In 1997, while on assignment for Time, Greenfield began documenting the lives of patients at the Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida, a forty-bed residential facility for the treatment of women with eating disorders. She subsequently returned to Renfrew to take more photographs, and was eventually given unprecedented access to film the daily lives of patients. Thin provides a window into the complicated and difficult process of treatment, the culture of rehab, and the experience of struggling with an eating disorder. The result is an experiential and emotional journey that allows a greater understanding of the complexity of eating disorders. Through Greenfield's images we are allowed to share the struggle of her subject and see the fragility of the human spirit and body under self-imposed stress.
Miles Ladin's photographs the annual fashion shows at Bryant Park and the after parties attended by the rich and famous. When Ladin is photographing these event he is treated anonymously even though he is a familiar face. To the person being photographed the most significant thing is if Ladin's photo is published in a newspaper or magazine and not the party itself. The image acts as a token for something "social important" to a wider audience beyond the event and allows more people to watch and follow the individual featured in the published photograph. In addition, Ladin's work explores idea of self imposed marginalization from mainstream society due to fame, money or ego. These images examine mediocre clichŽs about beauty, success or even how to feel about one's own life in comparison. By holding a mirror up to the reality, Ladin reflects on deeper truths about fame and beauty in the hopes of sparking greater social and self awareness.
Deana LawsonÕs work is grounded in the rituals of lived experience and portrays family and friends in her hometown of Rochester, New York. Lawson's work has subtle psychological nuances and presents new representations of the black family that are more complex than what is represented in popular media. In addition, her work stems from an interest in the "realness" of the family photo and utilizes a snapshot aesthetic, allowing the viewer to comprehend the subject's connection to their family, home, and identity. Dawson utilizes the familial environment as a stage to build mythological narratives that serves as metaphors for concealed knowledge, security, domestic ritual, and privacy. In doing so Dawson's images create universal dialogues that transcend notions of race and relate to ideas about family and personal versus constructed histories.
Stacy Renee Morrison's series ÒThe Girl of My DreamsÓ began when Morrison accidentally found a leather box abandoned in front of her building which included a daguerreotype, a name and other precious possessions. These saved objects compelled Morrison to set off on a genealogical quest to find the owner of the box and soon she found Sylvia DeWolf Ostrander who was born in Bristol, Rhode Island in 1841. Through the medium of photography Morrison invokes a women's life who she will never know but who has now become an important part of her life. Morrison visits the homes where DeWolf Ostrander lived, wanders in her town, spends lengthy amounts of time with DeWolf Ostrander great-granddaughter, wears her clothing and reads her journals in order to contemplate and fully realize the woman she once was. A century of time separates Morrison and DeWolf Ostrander physically, but they are entwined in a world where time ceases to exist. DeWolf Ostrander acts as an alternate personality for Morrison and artist and subject have merged together despite barriers of time, age and background.
Stephen Schuster's has said that "Nobody knows the city like the graffiti writer". The images in Converging Margins are a part of still building series on graffiti writers and their environments. Schuster is attracted to vast spaces and clandestine acts and he is inspired in his own picture making by the risk taken by graffiti writers to do their work. Graffiti writers are obsessed with the secrets of the urban world and utilize discarded industrial environments for self promotion and personal exploration. Schuster previously was photographing BrooklynÕs subway tunnels in order to capture still, but transient spaces in New York underground. The graffiti writer series captures the individualÕs exploration of themselves through these vacant and fleeting environments and gave Schuster access to the city's secret spaces. Schuster's work deals with life in an urban environments through the eyes of an underground culture and there is always a vast quality to Schuster's landscape work that speaks to freedom versus ownership.
Ed Templeton began skateboarding at age thirteen in the suburbs of Orange County, California where he still lives. Templeton spends a good majority of his time on tour with his team and is now a celebrity among legions of fans due to his success as a professional skateboarder. This allows him a rare insiderÕs view into the unique and sometimes wild lives of his subjects and his works tell the story of disaffected youth set against the landscapes of this region. Through skate culture Templeton found a forum to discuss racism and homophobia and in turn served a pioneering role in making skateboarding a leading cultural force. Skateboarding is now a worldwide culture that has many members and attracts people from many backgrounds. Templeton's work brings all of the people that are part of that culture from around the world into messy and raucous unity.