First We Take Manhattan...

There is still time to visit the remarkable exhibition of photos documenting New York at Imma in Kilmainham.




The portrait of any city is formed by so many eyes.  Visitors are influenced by how artists perceive the place
and find their own vision strengthened by what photographers show them.   The influence of Atget lives on in Paris, for instance.
Some visitors, notably Christopher Rauchenberg, make a point of seeking out streets that Atget photographed and
then take their own photos from the same vantage point.

In the exhibition at Imma, New York is portrayed as a heroic place.
Many of the photos are cinematic in their scope, the inhabitants looming against
a dramatic backdrop.  However, I found one gem by Paul Strand, a sensitive view of a streetscape which reminds the viewer to take another look at the influential film, Manhatta.
The narrative there weaves quotes from Walt Whitman into a kaleidoscopic exploration of New York on a typical day in the 1920's.