paul mcdonough

ResidentÊ December 2010 • 173 GUIDElines | Entertainment T wo businessmen are transxed by something outside the photo’s frame. What are they captivated by and why are they perched like herons atop standing water pipes? In another photo a Hare Krishna points to literature for a man with a sign around his neck that reads, “I am blind, will you please help me.” But who is blinder? The man wearing the sign? Or the Hare Krishna solicitor “blind” to his sign and donations cup? These are only two of the striking New York City street scenes captured by Paul McDonough and displayed in his new book, New Ê YorkÊ Phot og ra phsÊ 196 8 – 1978,Ê published by Umbrage Editions. The coffee-table hardcover was released to coincide with the current Chelsea exhibition of McDonough’s photos at the Sasha Wolf Ga llery (SashaWolf.com). Y ou’ll see Êfashi ons Ê fro mÊ the Êten Ê yea rsÊ covered in the book—big ’fros and long hair, young women in hot pants and white go-go boots, and an older generation sporting full-length fur coats. A hooded gure walks through an unexplained haze of smoke. AÊtoughÊangryÊwomanÊwithÊ cigarette dangling wears her hair pinned back by little-girl barrettes. McDonough, who arrived in New York in 1967, became fascinated and inspired by everyday scenes. “The energy level of New Y orkers,” he said, “rushing to and from their myriad destinations was galvanizing. The minor, and major dramas of theÊ ci tyÊ we re Ê theÊ mainÊ attraction.Ê People in New York were different.” TheÊcurious Ê imag eÊ of Ê menÊ inÊ suits Ê onÊ water pipes is hard to look away from. What the viewer doesn’t know is that the photo was taken during a parade and the two men needed height to see over the heads of the crowd. McDonough’s camera froze random moments, like a conservatively dressed woman moving forward while staring back with a suspicious and disparaging scowl, and the xed gaze of a passerby whose mind is elsewhere, rendering him oblivious to the theatrical world he walks through. On page 23, a priest wearing hipster sunglasses and a dapper fedora traverses beside a sexy young woman, begging the question, are these two together and is he really a priest? “Manhattan now, as well as forty years ago,” McDonough said, “is a walker’s city. I could wear out a good deal of shoe leather crisscros sing the streets of midtown with detours into Central Park.” In the late ’60s, fueled by coffee and too much free time, he began his NYC fascination. With his camera at the ready , McDonough sought “the gesture or expression that demanded to be recorded.” He said, “From a roll of thirty-six exposures, I might select only two or three. Like the stock market, I had my good days and bad days.” This book and exhibition ar e a celebrat ion of some of his best days. MoMA and the NY Public Library are two of many owners of McDonough collections. In the book’s forward, Susan Kismaric, MoMA ’s curator of photog raphy , wrote, “McDonough caught and juxtaposed disparate types that are central to the city’s vitality and proudly worn tradition of weirdness .” She calls McDonough’s take on New York City “a stage lled with characters of contradiction and extremity .” Kismaric labels McDonough’s most irresistible virtues as, “an eye for faces and gestures, acute curiosity, humor, and generosity.” Add to that a love for our metropolis and you have an accurate description of his talent. McDonough Ê wor kÊ isÊ onÊ di splayÊ throughÊ JanuaryÊ 8, Ê 20 11Ê at Ê the Sa shaÊWol f Ê Gall er y (SashaWolf.com) 54 8Ê WestÊ 28 th Ê St reet 212.925.0025 Do rr iÊ Old sÊ (Do rr iOl ds.c om) is Ê aÊ wr it er,Ê so ci al Ê me di aÊ co ns ul tant an dÊ we bÊ de si gn er. EyE on City StrEEtS By Dorri olDs

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8/6/2019 Paul McDonough

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/paul-mcdonough 1/1ResidentÊDecember 2010 • 17

GUIDElines | Entertainment

Two businessmen are transxedby something outside the photo’sframe. What are they captivated

by and why are they perched like heronsatop standing water pipes? In another photoa Hare Krishna points to literature for aman with a sign around his neck that reads,“I am blind, will you please help me.” Butwho is blinder? The man wearing the sign?Or the Hare Krishna solicitor “blind” to hissign and donations cup? These are only twoof the striking New York City street scenes

captured by Paul McDonough and displayedin his new book, NewÊYorkÊPhotographsÊ1968 –1978,Êpublished by Umbrage Editions.

The coffee-table hardcover was releasedto coincide with the current Chelseaexhibition of McDonough’s photos at theSasha Wolf Gallery (SashaWolf.com). You’llseeÊfashionsÊfromÊtheÊtenÊyearsÊcovered in the book—big ’frosand long hair, young womenin hot pants and white go-goboots, and an older generationsporting full-length fur coats.

A hooded gure walks through

an unexplained haze of smoke. AÊtoughÊangryÊwomanÊwithÊcigarette dangling wears herhair pinned back by little-girlbarrettes.

McDonough, who arrivedin New York in 1967, becamefascinated and inspired byeveryday scenes. “The energylevel of New Yorkers,” hesaid, “rushing to and from

their myriadd e s t i n a t i o n swas galvanizing.The minor, andmajor dramas of

theÊcityÊwereÊtheÊmainÊattraction.Ê

People in New York were different.”TheÊcuriousÊimageÊof ÊmenÊinÊsuitsÊonÊ

water pipes is hard to look away from. Whatthe viewer doesn’t know is that the photowas taken during a parade and the two menneeded height to see over the heads of thecrowd.

McDonough’s camera froze randommoments, like a conservatively dressedwoman moving forward while staring back with a suspicious and disparaging scowl, andthe xed gaze of a passerby whose mind is

elsewhere, rendering him oblivious to thetheatrical world he walks through. On page23, a priest wearing hipster sunglasses and adapper fedora traverses beside a sexy young woman, begging the question, are these twotogether and is he really a priest?

“Manhattan now, as well as forty years

ago,” McDonough said, “is a walker’s city.could wear out a good deal of shoe leathecrisscrossing the streets of midtown witdetours into Central Park.” In the late ’60fueled by coffee and too much free tim

he began his NYC fascination. With hcamera at the ready, McDonough sough“the gesture or expression that demandeto be recorded.” He said, “From a roll othirty-six exposures, I might select only twor three. Like the stock market, I had mgood days and bad days.” This book anexhibition are a celebration of some of hbest days.

MoMA and the NY Public Librarare two of many owners of McDonougcollections. In the book’s forward, SusaKismaric, MoMA’s curator of photographwrote, “McDonough caught and juxtapose

disparate types that are central to thcity’s vitality and proudly worn traditioof weirdness.” She calls McDonoughtake on New York City “a stage lled witcharacters of contradiction and extremityKismaric labels McDonough’s moirresistible virtues as, “an eye for faces an

gestures, acute curiosity, humoand generosity.” Add to that love for our metropolis and yohave an accurate description ohis talent.

McDonough ÊworkÊisÊo

displayÊthroughÊJanuaryÊ82011ÊatÊthe

SashaÊWolf ÊGallery(SashaWolf.com)

548ÊWestÊ28thÊStreet 212.925.0025

Dorr iÊOldsÊ(DorriOlds.com)isÊaÊwriter,ÊsocialÊmediaÊconsulta

andÊwebÊdesigner.

EyE on

City StrEEtSBy Dorri olD

Georgetown McDonough 2012 Brochure

McDonough Youth Association SPECIAL OFFER!

Sean Mcdonough - Christ as Creator