Tod Papageorge Libri

Set against the backdrop of Central Park, this collection captures the interplay of nature and humanity through Papageorge's lens from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. The photographs evoke a sense of Eden, paralleling the themes of creation and human experience found in the Book of Genesis. Accompanied by a reflective essay, the work explores the evolution of Papageorge's artistry, revealing how the park serves as a canvas for both biblical echoes and the vibrant tapestry of modern life, culminating in a celebration of the park's untamed beauty.

In this collection, the photographs capture the essence of New York City during 1966-67, showcasing Tod Papageorge's transition from black-and-white street photography to vibrant color images. Influenced by the city's pulse and the looming backdrop of the Vietnam War, these photographs focus on seemingly mundane subjects like shop windows, reflecting deeper societal tensions. The re-issued edition enhances the visual experience with larger plates and a cohesive design, emphasizing the intricate relationship between his color work and the earlier black-and-white series, "Down to the City."

Tod Papageorge: Dr. Blankman´s New York documents a brief but critical moment in the photographer's early career, the two years Papageorge shot in color in New York in the late 1960s. Black-and-white photography was still the "serious" medium, and color reserved for commercial applications; Papageorge--25 years old and newly arrived in New York City--was encouraged by his fellow photographers to seek paying magazine work by developing a body of work in color. In some ways it was a failed experiment: Papageorge mostly approached color in the same way as he approached black and white, except that he also began to intuitively produce still-life pictures with little commercial appeal, spotlighting canned hams in shop windows and political posters. But color offered Papageorge the opportunity to work in a new medium at a time of great social, political and cultural change. "I’d like to think that, in Dr. Blankman´s New York, you’ll find a persuasive account of what it meant for me to be free with a Leica in the streets of my newly adopted home of Manhattan," writes Papageorge, "a record drawn with Kodachrome film and its rich, saturated colors."