New York Public Gallery: Alen MacWeeney: New York Subways 1977 – The Eye of Photography Magazine

The New York Public Gallery presents the exhibition Alen MacWeeney : New York Subways 1977.

In 1977, the photographer Old MacWeeney captured a series of melancholic and painterly images of passengers on the New York subway. Born in Dublin, MacWeeney began his photographic career in Paris as an assistant to Richard Avedon. After moving to New York, he became captivated by the challenge of creating images of people sitting and standing in the bright spaces of subway cars. He was particularly inspired by the works of Reginald Marsh, a social realist painter known for his depictions of crowded city life. But it wasn’t until he began sorting through prints of his work that the project took on its unique voice. As the prints were scattered, partially on top of each other, MacWeeney discovered that the combined images said more than a single image. Diptychs became key to his subway photos. He created pairs that, at first glance, may look like a single image. Subtle groupings generate feelings of surprise, humor, disequilibrium and threat.

Alex Q.Arbuckle

Old MacWeeney : New York Subways 1977
Until January 7, 2024
New York Public Gallery
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Print Gallery
476 5th Ave.
New York, NY 10018

www.alenmacweeney.com