BEYOND WORDS/New York

Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York / September 14 – 22, 2011

Curated by Elisabeth Biondi

The New Yorker magazine, for the first time ever in 1992, published a full page photograph – a portrait of Malcolm X by Richard Avedon. It marked the beginning of what photography in the magazine would prove to be: bold, distinct and thought-provoking. Now, many years later, the photograph has become an integral part of the publication. Avedon’s shutter still echoes in its pages, but the field of view has been broadened and shifted, ever so gently to reflect changing times. Then, as now, the story is the driving force. Every picture in The New Yorker, even a portrait, makes an editorial statement. When published the pictures are bound to the written word, illuminating and strengthening the content of the magazine. After publication strong images assume a new life, beyond their original context. This is what I set out to explore in this exhibition. Freed from an editorial mission, each of these photographs exhibits a form and power inherent – beyond words.

Above:  Puerto Rican Day Parade, New York City – Mary Ellen Mark, 2003

Below left: Helen Mirren – Robert Maxwell, 2006

Below right: Paul Taylor Dancers – Max Vadukul, 1998