Showing posts with label Hurricane Sandy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hurricane Sandy. Show all posts

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Announcing Stephen Wilkes: Remnants


Recycled Cans

Recycled Aluminum Can Study #1
 

Santa Fe--Monroe Gallery of Photography, 112 Don Gaspar, is pleased to present "Remnants", an exhibition of large-scale color photographs of the environment and the environmental remnants left behind either by nature or man.

The exhibition opens with a public reception with photographer Stephen Wilkes from 5 - 7 PM on Friday, October 2. The exhibition continues through November 22.

For more than two decades Stephen Wilkes has been widely recognized for his fine art, editorial, and commercial photography. With numerous awards and honors, as well as five major exhibitions in the last five years, Wilkes has made an impression on the world of photography.

In the face of increasing global attention on climate change and rebuilding; and as society grapples with the byproducts of global human achievements such as urban development and mass production that have caused problems of scarcity and waste simultaneously, "Remnants" is a timely examination of the environmental issues facing society.
 
"I’ve often found that there is great power in telling difficult stories in a beautiful way. Interest in any given story wanes so quickly, yet it’s only through taking the time to go deeper that we get to a place of real understanding.

There are moments in journalism when the media captures the visual details of a disaster, yet sometimes misses the true scale of devastation. It’s my hope that these images serve as a wakeup call — whether that call is about global warming, infrastructure, or just the recognition that the world is changing, it’s a reminder that we need to take special care of our fragile world." --Stephen Wilkes

 Recycled Wire
Recycled Wire Study

Photography has been Stephen’s passion since age 12, when his fascination with science led him to take photographs through a microscope. He began working on his own at age 15, attended Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications, graduating in 1980. In 1982, Wilkes opened his own studio in Manhattan.

“Ever since I took my first pictures, photography has always been the joy of discovery for me,” says Wilkes. “The excitement not only lies with what I see and how I see it, but mostly when someone looks at the finished photograph and feels the same emotions I felt when I took the picture. There is something sacred about the right moment. The frame where all the energy comes together and, in one instant, a story is told.”

Wilkes' photographs are in the permanent collection of The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; George Eastman House, Rochester, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Dow Jones & Company, New York City; The Jewish Museum, New York City; and in numerous important private collections throughout the world. His work has graced the covers of numerous international publications, including Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, Life Magazine, and Time Magazine. Selected photographs in the "Remnants" exhibition were featured in the Annenberg Center for Photography exhibit "Sink or Swim: Designing For A Sea Change", Dec 13, 2014 - May 3, 2015.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Thursday, January 1, 2015

PHOTO LA 2015




Winter has set in to Santa Fe, and we are looking forward to heading west and exhibiting again at this year's edition of photo la, January 15 - 19, 2015. Monroe Gallery of Photography will be in Booth #203, just to the right of the main entrance to the fair.

To mark the forthcoming 50th anniversary of the Selma March, the gallery will showcase a very special selection of photographs from the 1965 March, alongside other iconic images from the civil rights era. We will be also exhibiting a wide variety of important photojournalism; including Stephen Wilkes iconic photograph of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Aditionally, we will show several of Wilkes acclaimed Day To Night collection; alongside many other classic photographs.

Be sure to attend the Photojournalism and Its Role in the Fine Art World panel discussion Sunday, Jan. 19, 11:30 - 1.



About photo la: The international photographic art exposition photo la returns for its 24th year at The REEF, located in the historic LA Mart building in downtown Los Angeles, January 15 - 18, 2015. Downtown LA has become an international destination for art patrons and enthusiasts. In addition to photo la and the LA Art Show, downtown LA will also welcome the highly anticipated opening of the new Broad Museum in 2015, along with the ongoing arrival of new cutting-edge and blue-chip galleries, such as Hauser Wirth & Schimmel. Inspired by downtown's growing vitality and creative energy, photo la relocated to The REEF for its 2014 edition, attracting an unprecedented attendance of 16,000 guests.

The 2015 edition of photo la will expand its uniquely diverse and far-reaching showcase of photographic art, ranging from 19th Century works to contemporary and innovative photography-based art. Alongside galleries, dealers, museums, and nonprofit organizations, photo la will also expand its acclaimed programming to include more lectures, roundtable discussions, special installations, and docent tours with distinguished members of the photographic/arts community. This year, photo la is pleased to honor Catherine Opie, and the fair's exclusive VIP opening gala will celebrate her lifelong contributions to the arts. Additionally, all proceeds from the opening gala will go towards photo la's 2015 beneficiary “ The United Way of Greater Los Angeles and The Painted Brain.

Buy Tickets

Concurrent events

Classic Photographs Los Angeles

The LA Art Show

Related: "I’m also glad Monroe Gallery of Photography (Booth #203) is returning this year."




Friday, October 18, 2013

Rising Waters: Photographs of Sandy



Oct 29, 2013 - Mar 2, 2014
1220 5th Ave, Manhattan, NY 10029
 
Presented to mark the one-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, Rising Waters draws on work submitted by over a thousand photographers, both professional and amateur, who responded to an open call for images in the storm's wake. The juried exhibition features striking before-and-after images of the hurricane's impact on the New York region, including preparations, the storm's destructive effects, and the ongoing rebuilding efforts.

This exhibition is part of the City Museum's ongoing initiative to present the photographic works of people from all walks of life as they capture pivotal moments in the city's history and is presented in conjunction with the International Center of Photography.


Photograph by Amy Medina
Once Again, October 30, 2012
Sayville, Long Island
Photograph by Amy Medina(DangRabbit)
 
 


The exhibit includes several photographs taken by Stephen Wilkes during Hurricane Sandy, including the iconic image of the Roller Coaster in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Stephen Wilkes' Hurricane Sandy Coverage in National Geographic


 
Photograph by Stephen Wilkes

Superstorm Sandy narrowed New Jersey’s beaches by more than 30 feet on average. At Seaside Heights it swept away the pier under the roller coaster.

Via National Geographic

The Damage Done

By the time Sandy struck the Northeast, it had killed 72 people in the Caribbean. It was no longer a hurricane—but it was a thousand miles wide, with 80-mile-an-hour winds that drove the sea onto the coast in lethal surges. The final death toll was 147. As the world warms, it may see more storms like Sandy. It will certainly see higher seas.

Slideshow

Article: The Rising Tide

Monday, June 17, 2013

Stephen Wilkes Wins at PDN Photo Annual 2013



 

Via  Bernstein and Andriulli


Every year PDN recognizes the best in photography and this time Stephen Wilkes comes out as one of the big winners, picking up an award in three categories: Advertising, Personal, and Photojournalism. A team of judges representing publications like The Huffington Post, The New York Times and Fast Company went through thousands of entries to select the brightest for the 2013 Photo Annual.

Stephen Wilkes’ “Day to Night” photo series was honored in both the Advertising and Personal categories. Both images capture the city and seaside beauty of the mega metropolis Shanghai from the morning to the late evening hours. Stephen’s devastatingly revealing aerial photographs of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy not only appeared in TIME Magazine, but also won recognition in PDN’s Photojournalism/Sports/Documentary category.


 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Jet Star Roller Coaster, Iconic symbol of Hurricane Sandy devastation, demolished




Demolition crews removing roller coaster sunk by Sandy
By Daniel Arkin, Staff Writer, NBC News
A roller coaster that was plunged into the Atlantic Ocean after Super Storm Sandy ripped through the Jersey Shore last October and became a symbol of the devastation was being demolished Tuesday afternoon.

The partially submerged Jet Star coaster was once a popular destination at Casino Pier, an amusement park in Seaside Heights, N.J. But when Sandy ravaged the Jersey shoreline, destroying parts of the pier, the coaster tumbled into the ocean.

Watch live video at NBCNewYork.com

Footage recorded at the scene showed demolition crews beginning to rip apart what remains of the former thrill ride. The crews are expected to use barges in the water and on-shore equipment to dismantle and uproot the coaster, Casino Pier spokeswoman Toby Wolf told NBC New York.

The demolition will take roughly two days to complete, Wolf said.
Casino Pier has reportedly asked Weeks Marine, the construction and dredging company hired to tear down Jet Star, to salvage a piece of the fallen coaster, which park officials intend to install as part of a planned Sandy memorial, according to NBC New York.

Prince Harry, who earlier Tuesday visited the storm-battered towns of Mantoloking and Seaside Heights with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at his side, said that he saw the “American spirit” manifested in the coastal region's recovery from natural disaster.
The prince is scheduled to appear in New York City on Tuesday evening to promote British trade and a community baseball program.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Town & Country at the AIPAD show for a sampling of this week's favorite art





Via Town & Country

The Exhibitionist
Town & Country hits the Affordable Art Fair and the AIPAD show for a sampling of this week's favorite art 

Stephen Wilkes

The TIME photographer Stephen Wilkes rented a helicopter in the immediate aftermath of hurricane Sandy. This shot, “Hurricane Sandy, Seaside Heights, New Jersey, 2012,” captures the eerie beauty of the day as the storm abates. The Jet Star roller coaster, which floated away from its mooring in the floods, sits far offshore, an incongruous wreck that’s the only visible reminder of the recent devastation. ($25,000, at the Monroe booth.)
Courtesy of Monroe Gallery - Booth #419

Monday, March 18, 2013

Monroe Gallery at The 2013 AIPAD Photography Show



We are very pleased that Monroe Gallery of Photography will once again be exhibiting at the AIPAD Photography Show, one of the most important international photography art events. The AIPAD Photography Show will be presented by The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), April 3 - 7, 2013.

Monroe Gallery will be in the same location as last year, Booth # 419, along the left aisle, near the Cafe.
We will be exhibiting specially selected work from the gallery's renowned collection of 20th and 21st Century master photojournalists. Among the highlights selected for this year's exhibition are:
 
Empire State Building, Hurricane Sandy, 2012

- Nina Berman




 
 
Apple Tree illuminated by gas flaring, Susquehanna County, 2011

 
 
 
 
 
  
 "I Am A Man", Sanitation Workers Strike, Memphis, Tennessee, March 28, 1968
- Ernest C. Withers  ©The Withers Family Trust


Throughout the show we are honored that several of our photographers will be present in our booth, including Nina Berman, Bill Eppridge, John Filo, John Loengard, Brian Hamill, Stephen Wilkes, and many others. Rosalind Withers, Board President of the Ernest C. Withers Collection Museum, will be in attendance announcing the appointment of Monroe Gallery of Photography as representative of the Ernest C. Withers Estate.

We look forward to seeing you at the exhibition.

Very truly yours,
 
Sid and Michelle Monroe
 

Show Hours:
Thursday, April 4 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday, April 5 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 6 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 7 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Park Avenue Armory 643 Park Avenue (between 66th and 67th Streets)


Monday, January 28, 2013

The AIPAD Photography Show To Be Held in New York on April 4-7 at the Park Avenue Armory



Frieke Janssens, Ringlings, 2011. Digital chromogenic dye print mounted to plexi, 35 x 35 inches. Courtesy Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago

Via artdaily.org

January 27, 2013

NEW YORK, NY.- The AIPAD Photography Show New York, one of the world’s most important annual photography events, will be held April 4-7, 2013, at the Park Avenue Armory. Presented by The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), the fair is the longest-running and foremost exhibition of fine art photography.

More than 70 of the world’s leading fine art photography galleries will present a wide range of museum-quality work including contemporary, modern, and 19th-century photographs, as well as photo-based art, video, and new media. The 33rd edition of the show will commence with an opening night gala on April 3, 2013, to benefit inMotion, which provides free legal services to low-income women.

“AIPAD continues to be at the forefront of the photography market,” noted Catherine Edelman, President AIPAD, and Director, Catherine Edelman Gallery. “Known for their scholarship and expertise, AIPAD galleries are shining light on extraordinary photographs by modern masters and emerging artists, images made in the last year by some of the most important artists working today, as well as relatively unknown work that is ripe for public exhibition. New and established photography collectors are anticipating another extraordinary exhibition.”

EXHIBITORS
Exhibitors will include galleries from across the U.S. and around the world, including Europe, Asia, and South America. Six galleries will exhibit at AIPAD for the first time: Brancolini Grimaldi, London; Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp; Klompching Gallery, Brooklyn; M97 Gallery, Shanghai; P.P.O.W., New York; and Sage Paris. An exhibitor list is available at aipad.com/photoshow.

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
A solo exhibition of work by James Welling will be exhibited by David Zwirner, New York. Welling has been questioning the norms of representation since the 1970s, exploring and experimenting with the elemental components of the photographic medium. His work is held in major museum collections including The Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, all in New York.

Lisa Sette Gallery, Scottsdale, will offer a one-person exhibition of work by British photographer Damion Berger, who was once as an assistant to Helmut Newton. Berger’s recent series, Black Powder, documents firework celebrations from around the world. He uses glass plate negatives, multiple exposures, and unusual combinations of focus and aperture for the results, which are as dramatic as the pyrotechnic explosions.

A number of riveting portraits at AIPAD will be on view, including a series by Belgian artist Frieke Janssens entitled Smoking Kids. The digital chromogenic dye prints of children smoking were inspired by a YouTube video of a chain-smoking Indonesian toddler. As the artist notes, “I felt that children smoking would have a surreal impact upon the viewer and compel them to truly see the acts of smoking, rather than making assumptions about the person doing the act.” The work will be exhibited by Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago. No real cigarettes were used to make the images. Instead, chalk and sticks of cheese were used as props, while candles and incense provided the wisps of smoke.

P.P.O.W., New York, will offer portraits and work by Martha Wilson, Carolee Schneemann, and David Wojnarowicz, all of it inspired by the human body. M97 Gallery, Shanghai, will show portraits by Luo Dan, who uses the collodion wet plate photographic process invented in 1850. Spending several months traveling with a portable darkroom in remote and mountainous regions of China’s southern Yunnan Province, Luo Dan depicts people living in China’s undeveloped regions, where the way of life has remained largely intact for hundreds of years. Yu Xiao’s surreal images of children from the 2012 Nursery Rhymes series will be shown at 798 Photo Gallery, Beijing.

Extraordinary landscapes from around the globe will on view at AIPAD, including work showing the effects of Hurricane Sandy. An image by Stephen Wilkes, of a roller coaster standing in the ocean at Seaside Heights, New Jersey, will be exhibited by Monroe Gallery of Photography, Santa Fe. Work by Matthew Brandt from his recent Lakes and Reservoirs series can be seen at Yossi Milo Gallery, New York. The L.A.-based artist photographs lakes and reservoirs around the western United States, then submerges each resulting C-print in water collected from the subject of the photograph. Matthew Brandt’s images are included in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Edward Burtynsky’s life’s work is to document humanity’s impact on the planet, so when he shoots a photograph, it is often from an airplane or helicopter. His new riveting geometric aerial landscapes from the Texas Panhandle showing irrigation systems in the high plains will be exhibited by Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York.

Since 2005, Robert Burley has traveled across North America and Europe documenting the exteriors and interiors of the buildings that manufactured traditional film products such as Kodak and Polaroid. Burley’s mastery of large-format photography is a fitting tribute to a once thriving industry laid quickly to waste by digital technology. The work will be on view at Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto, and can be seen in a new book, The Disappearance of Darkness, published by Ryerson Image Centre and Princeton Architectural Press.

A portrait by Mariana Cook of one of the world’s most prominent political prisoners, Aung San Suu Kyi, will be exhibited by Lee Marks Fine Art, Shelbyvile, IN. Cook traveled to Burma in 2011 shortly after the Nobel Peace Prize winner was freed from house arrest. The portrait will be included in the upcoming book Justice: Faces of the Human Rights Revolution by Cook, which captures pioneers of the human rights movement from around the globe.

Edward Weston’s The Marion Morgan Dancers, California, 1921, will be on view at Galerie Johannes Faber, Vienna. The elegant composition of the nude dancers was made in collaboration with Margrethe Mather – whom Weston called “the first important person in my life” – and reflects Weston’s early pictorialist style and Mather’s sensitive eye. A pensive Frida Kahlo is the subject of Manuel Alvarez Bravo’s gelatin silver print from the 1940s at Throckmorton Fine Art, New York. Seydou Keïta’s charming portrait Three Malian Women, 1957-60, will be offered by Charles Isaacs Photographs, Inc., New York. Keïta is considered to be the first generation of African photographers to cater to the needs of a populace that was transitioning from French-colonial governance to independence, experiencing population increases and economic growth.

Early work from the birth of photography will also be a highlight at AIPAD. James Hyman Photography, London, will focus on three great French photographers of the 19th century: Edouard Baldus, Gustave Le Gray, and Charles Negre. Hans P. Kraus Jr. Fine Photographs, New York, will show great masters of British and French 19th-century photography, including William Henry Fox Talbot, Linnaeus Tripe, and Gustave Le Gray.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Photo LA 2013: Diary of Jeff Dunas



Med__mg_2736-edit-jpg
Bill Eppridge, Senator Robert F Kennedy Shot,
Ambassador Hotel Kitchen, Los Angeles, California, June 5, 1968

Via Le Journal de la Photographie

 Slide Show #1


Same venue. A generous group of galleries reconvened this past weekend, January 17 - 21 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for the 21st annual PhotoLA print fair.

Stephen Cohen, PhotoLA's founder, was in good form and seemed happy with the turnout and the exhibitions. The opening night was a wonderful social occasion for the photography community who turned up to benefit the Inner City Arts organization.

The hands-down shining moment of the event was a one and half hour lecture by the great Bill Eppridge. There wasn't a dry eye in the house for the moderately attended talk. Monroe gallery artist Eppridge discussed and showed work from his spectacular career as a photojournalist centering on his assignments from the 1960s including the Beatle's first US tour and the Robert Kennedy assassination If there is a photo-book publisher reading this - here is an incredible opportunity to publish a phenomenal monograph.

It's hard to say if there were detectible new currents on show this year - there was a surprising number of contemporary female nudes evident in many of the exhibitor's spaces but in terms of one emerging star of the program, none surfaced. Ben Nixon, a young photographer working with 19th century wet-plate technology, had a strong show of his forest work as well as his exquisite new title from 21st Editions. A lot of pigment printing on view, with an exceptional piece by Michael Lang at the Cohen Gallery booth. While many tend to pump the colors of modern ink-jet prints, Lang's images displayed a remarkable restraint and mastery of his craft. Less early 20th century masters on display than in prior years, a greater emphasis on the work of contemporary photographers - a good direction for mid-career image-makers. Most were American although a collective booth showing the work of Czech photography was wonderful. Daniel Miller of the Verge and Duncan Miller galleries hosted a booth for a group of women, all emerging photographers which was a good development.

This year an expanded series of seminars, some even tech seminars were added to bring in more photographers who were everywhere this year - a great chance to catch up with friends.

All in all, worthwhile, to be sure. Will I attend the 22nd PhotoLA?
Absolutely.


Jeff Dunas, Los Angeles

Slide Show #2

Jerusalem, Western Wall, Day To Night, 2012

 Stephen Wilkes Day to Night Series



Hurricane Sandy, Seaside Heights, NJ, 2012
Digital C-print, signed, limited edition #1/20 $10,000

Links

http://www.photola.com

Monday, January 21, 2013

Photo LA Highlights New Frontiers In Photography



Stephen Wilkes Day To Night/Photo by Rebecca Joyce/LAist
By Rebecca Joyce/Special to LAist



Photo LA has once again returned to the Santa Monica Civic Center for a 4-day photography exhibition. Photo LA features the best iconic work, vernacular pieces—and also the new frontiers in fine art photography.
Classic pieces by Araki, Cartier-Bresson and Lange share space with the new and noteworthy. Garnering attention are Chris McCaw's sunburned negative series, never-before-seen images of Andy Warhol as a model, astonishing work by the Blind Photographers Guild, a new and iconic image of Roger Waters by Jerome Brunet and large lightjet prints by Stephen Wilkes of the Jersey Shore after Sandy.

New attendees can attend seminars and go on docent tours to get a guided introduction to the work featured.
After last year's success, Emerging Focus—which is open to amateurs—returns with 20 finalists from an international photography competition. There is also a full schedule of workshops and portfolio reviews geared toward student and emerging artists. A larger variety of seminars provides classes on portraiture, lighting, travel, black and white and many other facets of photography. The Emerging Focus programming noticeably changes the demographic of the crowd at Photo LA—there are more students, emerging and aspiring artists, and a new generation of photography lovers and collectors.

One of the most important fine art events in Los Angeles, the annual Photo LA gives us a panorama of the state of photography in the art world, as well as the changing face of those who are practicing, embracing and collecting the medium. Photo LA is on exhibit at the Santa Monica Civic Center until tomorrow. For more information about the event check out its website.


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Stephen Wilkes: The 57th Presidential Inauguration, Day To Night



Stephen Wilkes announced today that he will be shooting a "Day to Night" of the 57th Presidential Inauguration on Monday January 21st in Washington, DC.

Read more about his Day to Night series, which was recently featured on the CBS Sunday Morning Show, here. And, if you are the in the greater Los Angeles area, be sure to visit us this weekend during Photo la 2013 to view a selection of Stephen's work, including the most recent location of the Day To Night series, Jerusalem, and his photograph of Seaside Heights, New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Stephen Wilkes, The Power of the Still Image




Via X-Rite Photo Blog


"A new video has just been released today featuring Coloratti Stephen Wilkes talking about The Power of the Still Image, his own projects to document parts of American life and culture that are fading into memory, some of his disturbing and compelling images of the Gulf oil spill, and his latest project called Day to Night. In this video Stephen talks about the “subtext” beneath his photographs. “The power of what’s underneath is much greater than what’s on the surface,” he says. “And I want you to go underneath what I’m showing you but the only way I can get there is to draw you in with beauty.”

 


Wilkes is an amazing photographer. His passion for the still image is fueled by his ardent belief that it is the still image that “burns” into our minds. “I don’t think that, in terms of memory, things stay with us unless we have the image,” says Wilkes. “I think there is infinitely more power in a visual than there is in anything that is verbal or even written.”
 
Hurricane Sandy on the Jersey Shore by Stephen Wilkes
Seaside Heights, N.J
©2012 Stephen Wilkes

One of Stephen’s most recent projects was documenting Hurricane Sandy for Time. Stephen’s 22 image photo essay on the super-storm disaster is available on Time Lightbox. The aerial photos he captured are both beautiful and horrific. Here’s a quote from his words accompanying the photo essay: “On the Sunday after Sandy made landfall, I decided to rent a helicopter and fly over some of the most devastated areas, including the New Jersey shore, Breezy Point and Far Rockaway. It was a beautiful day to fly, but unfortunately that beauty quickly eroded into shock as we began to get close to the coasts. It was everything I’d heard about, but it was difficult to believe what I was actually seeing. Once we got above the shoreline, I really started to understand the scale of the destruction. The expanse of land it ruined, the totality of the devastation — it was like a giant mallet had swung in circles around the area. It was mind numbing.” Read more about the Hurricane Sandy project online and see all 22 photos in the essay at Time Lightbox."


Full post with links here.

See Stephen Wilkes Day To Night and Hurricane Sandy photographs during Photo la, January 17 - 21, at Monroe Gallery of Photograph, booth M-150.


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Stephen Wilkes' Sandy Photographs Among TIME's Best Photojournalism of 2012





Via TIME LightBox
Throughout 2012, TIME’s unparalleled photojournalists were there. At a time when so much hangs in the balance, bearing witness can be the most essential act — and that’s what we do."

Two of Stephen Wilkes photographs of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy are among the best of  Time's commissioned photojournalism from 2012:




UPDATE: Dec 13, 2013: The above photograph was chosen as one of TIME's "Top 10 Photos of 2012"


Stephen Wilkes for TIME
Nov. 4, 2012. Seaside Heights, N.J. The Jet Star roller coaster at Casino Pier amusement park, once a Jersey Shore Landmark, was submerged in the Atlantic as a result of Hurricane Sandy. From "Flooded, Uprooted, Burned: The Tracks of Sandy on the Shore."






Stephen Wilkes for TIME
Nov. 9, 2012. Staten Island, N.Y. Strong winds and waves ripped several homes from their foundation, like this one in the Oakwood neighborhood. From "Flooded, Uprooted, Burned: The Tracks of Sandy on the Shore."

Related: Mr. Wilkes’ photo eloquently framing: amber waves of grain meets the apocalypse.



Related: The "Best Photos" of 2012 International Compilation

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Stephen Wilkes' Sandy Photo Essay for TIME Magazine

Stephen Wilkes for TIME
Breezy Point, N.Y.: On the night Sandy made landfall, a fire swept through this community on the tip of the Rockaway Peninsula, consuming more than 100 homes.

Flooded, Uprooted, Burned: The Tracks of Sandy on the ShoreVia Time LightBox


"After TIME commissioned me, along with four other photographers, to capture Hurricane Sandy using Instagram, I and many of my colleagues felt a deep personal need to go back and document the aftermath. I’ve covered disasters in other parts of our country, but this is my hometown, and Sandy was a storm of historical significance. I’ve often found that there is great power in telling difficult stories in a beautiful way. Interest in any given story wanes so quickly, yet it’s only through taking the time to go deeper that we get to a place of real understanding. I had to return to this story, and I wanted try to comprehend the scale of this storm. The only way for me to capture Sandy’s destructive fury was from above.
 
On the Sunday after Sandy made landfall, I decided to rent a helicopter and fly over some of the most devastated areas, including the New Jersey shore, Breezy Point and Far Rockaway. It was a beautiful day to fly, but unfortunately that beauty quickly eroded into shock as we began to get close to the coasts. It was everything I’d heard about, but it was difficult to believe what I was actually seeing. Once we got above the shoreline, I really started to understand the scale of the destruction. The expanse of land it ruined, the totality of the devastation — it was like a giant mallet had swung in circles around the area. It was mind numbing.

When I got home that night, the images still in my mind made it impossible to sleep. Through various points of this storm, it felt like we were all living through a science fiction movie. Seeing these devastated towns from above showed the cold reality of this storm’s severity.

From above, I realized how close particular neighborhoods were to bays or oceans. Sometimes, it was a matter of two blocks, and it’s a proximity not immediately apparent when you’re on the ground. In Breezy Point, for example, I knew that more than 80 homes had burned down in a fire, but nothing could have prepared me for what I actually saw. The blackened and charred blocks of homes viewed as a giant physical scar across the landscape. Seeing how much land was affected and yet how many homes were saved, made me think of the firefighters and how hard they must have worked just to contain this fire.

In flying over Staten Island, I was really struck by the marina, and how the boats were physically lifted from the pier and tossed together. It looked like a child’s game—huge, 40-ft. boats being thrown around like toys. We then flew over Oakwood, where I saw a house that had been lifted and dragged through a field of cattails; its path clearly visible days later, having left a trail of destruction through the cattails.

Sandy was a warning shot. I’ve had a unique view of what’s happened on a physical level. But the emotional toll has yet to be measured. It’s my hope that these images serve as a wakeup call — whether that call is about global warming, infrastructure, or just the recognition that the world is changing, it’s a reminder that we need to take special care of our fragile world." -- Stephen Wilkes



Stephen Wilkes is a fine-art and commercial photographer based in New York. Wilkes was awarded the Photo District News Award of Excellence in 2011 and 2012.

Wilkes’ work will be part of a Sandy relief benefit auction hosted by 20×200 and TIME. Visit LightBox on Monday for more information.



Related: Stephen Wilkes Day To Night on CBS News Sunday Morning

Wednesday, October 31, 2012


In lower Manhattan now at night, with no power, cell phone service, light is from police and ambulance lights, red, orange, blue, or from the little flashlights people carry while they’re walking their dogs, or from car lights, and just Tuesday night, buses.

The point of reference, like the North Star, is the Empire State Building, the line of demarcation. Everything North of the Building is normal, as though little happened. South of it is like another world, unreal, quiet, like a movie set.

© Nina Berman, 30 October 2012
 
 
 
 
The images and first-person descriptions from the East Coast are almost incomprehensible. For all of our family members, friends, clients, colleagues, and everyone affected, our thoughts and prayers are with you.