The legendary Magnum photographer Bruce Gilden will be showing off his favorite images since 1979 at the upcoming exhibit at Fotografiska New York. Gilden’s work has been exhibited in New York many times. But this is something very special. Fotografiska is a dedicated photography museum — and it’s the last major exhibit for them in their current space until they relocate. And if you haven’t made it here yet, you haven’t realized how much magic you’ve missed out on.
All images by Bruce Gilden and provided to the Phoblographer with permission. Check out the exhibit Bruce Gilden: Why These? at Fotografiska, New York, from June 21st, 2024, until the museum closes for relocation between September and October 2024.
Fotografiska New York currently has two whole floors dedicated to Vivian Maier’s works. Gilden will be taking over the Daniel Arsham exhibit, one that I truly don’t feel belongs at the museum in the first place. That means that Bruce will have an entire floor dedicated to his work.
Most of us have seen Gilden’s work online — but we’re truly excited to see how we feel about it when it’s in print at a large scale. Fotografiska typically adds spotlights to each photograph to make it shine in a way that would make the stars look down on the images in jealousy. It’s hard not to have a twinkle in your eyes as you look at them. And Gilden’s work is sure to be something special for many native New Yorkers (like myself) and other admirers of street photography.
Gilden will also speak at the opening, but I wouldn’t expect him to say much. Any time that I’ve seen Bruce speak, I always want more. Even when we asked him about his images during a recent Magnum Sale, he wasn’t very articulate. “…I like it and it still makes me smile,” says Gilden in a short interview with the Phoblographer. “These guys look like twin brothers, and they’re visually interesting.”
What we’re very curious about is possibly seeing some of his work from the pandemic. In our 2021 interview, he said, “Surprisingly, new venues have opened up to me. Not only because of the pandemic but also because of the protests that took place after the death of George Floyd.”
Perhaps Bruce’s lack of speaking more about things has led to some of the criticisms of his work. Joel Meyerowitz has called Gilden a bully in the past — and he’s also said things like “I had to figure out, how do I attack New York City photographically?” These words, however, are typically just vernacular that has been passed on over and over again. And these days, many photographers have worked to speak more from a place of admiration and love than violence. You can especially see this in how Coney Island is covered by street photographers like Erica Reade or Roy Rozanski, for example.
Bruce’s work has also paved the way for so many other photographers. We can see some of his work in Chloe Jafe — especially with the Yakuza. The influence can also be recognized in the street photography Josh Estey, Salvatore Matarazzo, Jens Krauer, and Josh Ethan Johnson. Bruce is also 77 years old, and it might be one of the last times you get to see his work while he’s still with us.
Gilden is also giving a studio tour on Sunday, June 23rd, and you can reserve your tickets on Fotografiska’s website.
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