Archives December 2024

One sweltering summer day recently, photographer Ethan James Green and I sought relief from the heat by heading to the Ukrainian Museum in New York to explore “Peter Hujar: Rialto.” In the peak of a New York City summer, when it seems the temperature is climbing at a frenzy you’re hoping your finances might match, the museum becomes a haven from those sizzling pavements. (It remains so: “Peter Hujar: Rialto” continues through early September.)

Certainly, the primary incentive to pay a visit is to admire Hujar’s astounding art. Various superlatives could be showered upon the Ukrainian-American photographer, who left us in 1987, and he’d merit each. A giant in the world of photography, Hujar could be candid and unadorned but also captured subjects with a gentle and intimate approach—a unique blend of warmth and an unwavering look into humanity.

Hujar earned renown for portraying LGBTQIA+ icons and symbolism, from Candy Darling on Her Death Bed, 1973 to Christopher Street Pier #2 (Crossed Legs), 1976. “His work is something I truly admire, and I believe when it comes to photographers focusing on gay and queer themes, he stands out,” Green shared with me. “During his rise, Robert Mapplethorpe was also emerging—and while Mapplethorpe leaned into abstraction with his subjects, Hujar engaged with them in a raw, authentic manner. I favor that style—especially in portraiture.”

The genius of “Peter Hujar: Rialto,” however, lies in revealing some of Hujar’s work that is significantly lesser-known. The exhibit covers capture from 1955 to 1969—just over a decade but one in which Hujar documented the gradual axial tilt towards a progressive time. Whether in rural America, the eerie Capuchin catacombs of Palermo, amidst urban youth, or alongside future luminaries set to blaze the 1970s—Iggy Pop, Warhol star Jackie Curtis, and Loulou de la Falaise, a collaborator of Yves Saint Laurent, et al.

“Witnessing numerous photographs I haven’t encountered before,” Green remarked that day. “It’s easy to overlook he was a photographer active for a substantial span, producing so much work. When someone departs, certain pictures remain while others might fade—not due to their quality.”

Walter Hill’s 1979 movie The Warriors, adapted from Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel, illustrates a gritty diagram of New York City controlled by fiercely territorial groups.

Warriors, a fresh concept album inspired by the same narrative, launches with a dancehall-flavored intro by Jamaican vocalist Shenseea, succeeded by Bronx native rapper Chris Rivers stepping into the track to represent and introduce his district. This paves the way for the succeeding quartet of voices: Nas (representing Queens), Cam’ron (Manhattan), Ghostface Killah and RZA (Staten Island), and Busta Rhymes (Brooklyn).

Soon after follows an electrifying reminder that this is indeed a theatrical musical production by Lin-Manuel Miranda, as numerous Broadway stars (Phillipa Soo, Amber Gray, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Aneesa Folds, Kenita Miller, Sasha Hutchings, Gizel Jiménez, and Julia Harriman) appear, portraying the gender-reversed namesake gang.

However, the final twist comes when Lauryn Hill takes the stage as Cyrus, a soon-to-be-murdered gang leader advocating for the gangs to cease hostilities and seize control of the city from the police, who they outnumber three to one. While Miranda’s Hamilton Mixtape, released after that musical’s 2015 triumph, included many hip-hop icons, his compositions have never sounded so, well, intense.

Un poco después de las 5 p.m. el pasado jueves, un jurado en Nueva York declaró al ex presidente Donald Trump culpable de 34 delitos graves por falsificar documentos comerciales. Inmediatamente, mi teléfono se llenó de mensajes sobre el veredicto del tribunal—desde aplicaciones de noticias, mi familia, amigos, y compañeros de trabajo. Algunos celebraron. Otros se preguntaron si un veredicto de culpabilidad realmente significaba algo para alguien como Trump. Otros más expresaron preocupación por la seguridad de los miembros del jurado.

Recibí estas alertas mientras me dirigía a ver la producción de la Atlantic Theater Company de The Welkin por la dramaturga Lucy Kirkwood. (Esta puesta en escena marca el debut en Estados Unidos de la obra después de estrenarse en el Teatro Nacional de Londres en 2020.) Dentro del Teatro Linda Gross, ubicado en una iglesia convertida en Chelsea, el elenco estaba calentando antes de su función de las 7 p.m. cuando el gerente de producción entró apresurado para contarles la noticia.

“Hay ciudadanos conscientes y preocupados en nuestro elenco,” dice Sandra Oh, quien aparece en la obra como Lizzy Luke, una obstinada partera. “No hay manera de que no estemos influenciados por todo lo que está sucediendo en el mundo.” Y ciertamente, como muchos asistentes al teatro notaron durante el intermedio, The Welkin resultó ser una proyección muy adecuada mientras se desarrollaba un juicio real.

“It’s not an overstatement to mention that we’re experiencing the dawn of Joan Jonas,” expressed Randy Kennedy on Monday evening at the National Arts Club. The seasoned arts journalist was accompanied onstage by Jonas, who at 87 is having a significant time in the spotlight, as she is currently at the forefront of two exhibitions in New York: one at the Museum of Modern Art, with a captivating retrospective of her five-decade-long career that started in March, and another featuring her enchanting works on paper at the Drawing Center in SoHo. In addition to prestigious art venues, her creations also adorn graphic tees, mirrored handbags, and fringed clothing from Rachel Comey’s exhilarating spring 2024 lineup.

To those unfamiliar, Jonas is the pioneering American artist who was active in the early stages of happening and video art beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Consistently innovative, she crafted her distinct language using sound, movement, visual emblems, and a continual examination of concepts. She involved folklore, ecology, and a feminist perspective, transitioning from grand performances in unoccupied lots in downtown Manhattan to delicate sketches of cherished animals. She has inspired numerous young artists who, akin to her, strive to challenge artistic conventions and explore fresh paths.

“She operates at this delightful crossroads that genuinely encourages cultural diplomacy,” remarked Phillip Edward Spradley, who leads the National Arts Club’s art and technology committee and who organized Monday evening’s conversation between Jonas and Kennedy.