In the shadows, Christopher Park, Greenwich Village, New York City, 2006 photo

Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty Nine: Juxtaposition – compare and contrast for meaning > In the shadows, Christopher Park, Greenwich Village, New York City, 2006

previous | next


07-AUG-2006

In the shadows, Christopher Park, Greenwich Village, New York City, 2006

The powerful incongruity of artist George Segal’s stark white yet realistic bronze figures sitting together on a park bench becomes even more striking when we see what is juxtaposed with them on the same bench. The figures touch in friendship. The man, initially lost in the shadows, has only the bench itself to touch. The figures are part of New York City’s Gay Liberation Monument. A transcript of the plaque on the fence in the background is reproduced at: http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=10767

Leica D-Lux 2
1/500s f/5.6 at 9.3mm iso100 hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	07-Aug-2006 11:08:44
Make	Leica
Model	D-LUX2
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	9.3 mm
Exposure Time	1/500 sec
Aperture	f/5.6
ISO Equivalent	100
Exposure Bias	-0.33
White Balance	(10)
Metering Mode	multi spot (3)
JPEG Quality	(6)
Exposure Program	program (2)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto

previous | next

Phil Douglis		21-Aug-2006 23:43
Nicely put, Jenene. Glad this image brings such thoughts as yours to mind. I am sure the sculptor would feel the same way. As a photographer, I am able to add that extra dimension by juxtaposing the man sleeping on the bench against the sculptured figures. Monuments and photographs are symbols that make us think, feel, and wonder. And if such thought and feeling can eventually lead us to a less prejudicial culture, all the better.

JSWaters		21-Aug-2006 20:28
I see not only a comparison between the bond of affection and loneliness, but a subtext that illustrates two groups in society with a history of oppression and ostracism. Perhaps it's reassuring for both that a monument to one group has cemented a rightful place in our culture. Jenene

Phil Douglis		16-Aug-2006 22:40
Glad you came to this image, Ai Li, and happy it moved you to such thoughts. This juxtaposition encourages such ideas. The Gay Liberation monument itself commemorates pride and love and diversity and self-determination. It is a positive experience. You are right. Everyone in this image represents important human values. Your imagination will take it from there.

AL		16-Aug-2006 08:58
If only we could breath them (both the figures and the man) to life. Create a window for the light that shines through them. Give them the gift of soul, the space through which to reveal themselves, to fill the gaps, to speak their minds, to tell their stories, and to reach out to touch with love and hope.

Phil Douglis		13-Aug-2006 22:28
Thanks, Tim, and Shirley, for these comments. The whites in the statue and the man do indeed establish a visual linkage between the two. And the juxtaposition of fantasy and reality is at the core of this image.

Shirley Wang		13-Aug-2006 22:22
It's a comparison between a fantasy world of affection and the reality of loniness.

Tim May		13-Aug-2006 19:54
I am noticing the line of white - the whiteness of the statues - the man's head covering, the top of his tee-shirt and the bottom. I not sure what meaning I get from this but the diagonal of white those echo with me.

Type your message and click Add Comment

It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest. Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help	private comment

Type your message and click Add Comment

It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest. Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help	private comment