Photographs
[Table of Contents]
[Editor's Note]
[Masthead]
[Guidelines]
[Resources]
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[click a thumbnail to show the full-size image]
___
In December 2000, a sweeping snowstorm hit New York City, my current
place of residence. Large flakes were tumbling from the sky at an astounding
pace. By noon the streets and sidewalks were lined with snow and it was
difficult for traffic to pass. I set out on foot to capture this wonder
with my camera. As I traversed the streets of my neighborhood, I found
doorways and gates lined with snow. Windows were lined with icicles and
snowflakes. I met many people out with everything from snow shovels to
toboggans. The atmosphere was calm and festive.
Walking through Central Park, I came across
a small pine forest (The Pinetum). Boughs were bending from the weight
of the snow. The sky was a beautiful grayish tone and the sun peeking
through the clouds projected its own luminosity. Snowmen lined the paths
and dogs rolled in the snow as children engaged in snowball fights. Everyone
was filled with wonder. The lake was frozen solid and geese clustered
at the edges, marveling in their surroundings.
Later in the week I took many photos of
the surrounding area. I walked down through Riverside Park and took a
photo of a tree during a spectacular sunset. The Hudson River was frozen
and chunks of ice were floating slowly down towards the ocean. They looked
like lunar landing modules, cast in an eerie blue. The George Washington
Bridge was clearly visible although the whole mass of water in between
was frozen. Lampposts and statues in Central Park were covered in layers
of snow and the whole world seemed to be recovering from the onslaught.
___
Karen Landmann was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. While she lived in a large urban center, she was constantly aware of the large frontier to the north of this metropolis. She lived in Russia in 1989, where she found a culture with a very similar worldview—a conception of giant open northern spaces with seemingly limitless woodlands to the north. She has exhibited at Ward-Nasse Gallery, Manhattan Borough President's Gallery, Arsenal Gallery, West Side Arts Coalition, and Seventh and Second Photo Gallery.