Barbara Mensch and Claire Gilliam delve into their artistic evolution, capturing the hidden depths of the Brooklyn Bridge, documenting the gritty world of the Fulton Fish Market, exploring ethnic dynamics on the waterfront, and navigating honesty and deception in a historical context. They also discuss curating visual narratives with video walls, showcasing their unique approaches and challenges in creating dynamic storytelling experiences.
Barbara Mensch transitioned from illustration to photography to express herself authentically, following her father's art museum inspiration.
Collaborating with Claire Gilliam, Mensch innovatively curated a multimedia installation merging still photography with oral histories to engage modern viewers.
Deep dives
Barbara Mench's Early Passion for Drawing and Transition to Photography
Barbara Mench recalls her early passion for drawing starting as a child in Brooklyn, seeking solace from the loud and chaotic neighborhood by capturing faraway places in her sketchpad. Her father's introduction to art museums and the impactful experience of seeing a painting by Rosa Bonner at the Met influenced her artistic journey. Mench transitioned from illustration work to photography after capturing her terminally ill mother, finding photography's immediacy more fitting to express herself.
Barbara Mench's Documentary Photography Journey
Barbara Mench embarked on long-term projects, exploring the Brooklyn Bridge and the Fulton Fish Market, uncovering the history and cultural richness of these locations. She delved into the intricate narratives of these spaces, capturing the essence of the working class and the complex interplay of community, labor, and organized crime. Mench's dedication to documenting these environments authentically portrays a disappearing world with depth and sensitivity.
Curating a Multimedia Installation with Claire Gilliam
Collaborating with Claire Gilliam, Barbara Mench curated a multimedia installation blending still photography with oral histories and language visuals. They faced challenges in adapting black-and-white images to backlit screens, using parallax effects to engage viewers dynamically. Their meticulous process involved test prints, cropping adjustments, and strategic placement of images to convey a compelling narrative capturing the essence of the documentary subjects.
Innovative Presentation at the Water Street Market Installation
Barbara Mench's innovative presentation approach at the Water Street Market installation reflects a strategic decision to use screens over traditional framed prints. This choice aligned with modern attention spans and screen-centric culture. Leveraging high-resolution metallic prints for specific images and integrating changing visual signage and oral histories on screens and walls create an immersive and expansive storytelling experience for visitors.
In today's episode, W. Scott Olsen talks to Barbara Mensch, a New York-based photographer and author whose work has been exhibited in numerous prestigious galleries and museums.
This podcast is brought to you by FRAMES, a high-quality quarterly printed photography magazine. You can find out more about FRAMES at www.readframes.com.
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