Deadline driven
A few weeks ago I noticed a deadline for a photo competition that sought narratives documenting the impact of the recession on people, communities, institutions, etc. Recently, I have been spending more time trying to pick up the thread again of what's been happening in the photo world. So, when I saw this competition notice my first thought was - my office is in the epicenter of the storm ... wait... my office is in the epicenter of the storm creating the economic recession!
Almost a year ago, it was impossible to go and get my favorite salad from Flavors without tripping over the cameras set up outside of AIG. The building is right next to ours and as I passed, I always felt a twinge of sympathy for the bedraggled AIG workers as they scurried out, heads down, to get something to eat. After all, the vast majority of these folks had absolutely nothing to do with the scandal, yet they were forced, day after day to do a perp walk for coffee.
Anyway, for a few days last week I documented Wall Street - what it looks like, what it means. This is what I came up with and submitted to the competition.
PROJECT STATEMENT: Ever since that September in 2008, when complete financial collapse seemed unavoidable, contrasts between Wall Street and Main Street have been a favored narrative of pundits. This metaphor works because there exists a collective image of what Wall Street and Main Street look like and value. Main Street has the post office, the favorite coffee shop and bar, potted plants hang next to American flags. It's slower, more friendly and authentic. Wall Street is a monolithic gray edifice of financial power and might. Its skyscrapers block the daylight and its dark-suited inhabitants spin lucrative schemes.
But the actual Wall Street, the one that exists between Broadway and the East River is not like that at all. It's filled with tourists, probably from Main Street, and office workers who smoke in front of their buildings, and go out for lunch at the cart. The vestiges of its mystique are primarily evident in the people milling about the Stock Exchange and Federal Hall taking snapshot after snapshot. Without that collective reinforcement, Wall Street is just a mix of empty stores, unhealthy stressed workers, and lots of rental space on the market.
What the recession has revealed on Wall Street isn't that the Emperor has no clothes. It's that the Emperor is shabby. And tacky. And no one has the guts or desire to tell him otherwise.
Wall Street workers and tourists, outside The Trump Building, a portion of which has been empty for some months, November 16, 2009 about 2:00PM.
The Pink store, a luxury retailer of business shirts, cufflinks and ties on Wall Street, empty on November 16, 2009 about 2:00PM
Tourists pass by executive management of the company Nu Skin celebrating Investor Day outside the New York Stock Exchange on November 16, 2009 about 2:00PM.
Wall Street worker reads over document outside building on November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
Side by side retail comparison: an empty Tumi store and a busy shoe-shine and repair shop on Wall Street, November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
Wall Street workers line up for lunch at one of the street's many Middle Eastern lunch carts, November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
The BMW Manhattan store on Wall Street, empty on November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
An advertisement on the side of a phone booth by a financial services placement company aimed at financial services workers looking for a new job, on Wall Street, November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
Wall Street's "Sad Panda" waving for tips outside of One Wall Street, November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM. The Sad Panda is a 62 year old man from Guangzhou, Chen Jialing, living in the United States for many years, who became Sad Panda after being forced to leave his former restaurant job.
Tourists pause for a picture outside the New York Stock Exchange, November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM
Pigeons scramble for crumbs on Wall Street, November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM
Street vendor sells "Wall Street Icons" - primarily money & bulls - November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM
Wall Street worker stands outside building lobby for a smoke, November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM
Almost a year ago, it was impossible to go and get my favorite salad from Flavors without tripping over the cameras set up outside of AIG. The building is right next to ours and as I passed, I always felt a twinge of sympathy for the bedraggled AIG workers as they scurried out, heads down, to get something to eat. After all, the vast majority of these folks had absolutely nothing to do with the scandal, yet they were forced, day after day to do a perp walk for coffee.
Anyway, for a few days last week I documented Wall Street - what it looks like, what it means. This is what I came up with and submitted to the competition.
PROJECT STATEMENT: Ever since that September in 2008, when complete financial collapse seemed unavoidable, contrasts between Wall Street and Main Street have been a favored narrative of pundits. This metaphor works because there exists a collective image of what Wall Street and Main Street look like and value. Main Street has the post office, the favorite coffee shop and bar, potted plants hang next to American flags. It's slower, more friendly and authentic. Wall Street is a monolithic gray edifice of financial power and might. Its skyscrapers block the daylight and its dark-suited inhabitants spin lucrative schemes.
But the actual Wall Street, the one that exists between Broadway and the East River is not like that at all. It's filled with tourists, probably from Main Street, and office workers who smoke in front of their buildings, and go out for lunch at the cart. The vestiges of its mystique are primarily evident in the people milling about the Stock Exchange and Federal Hall taking snapshot after snapshot. Without that collective reinforcement, Wall Street is just a mix of empty stores, unhealthy stressed workers, and lots of rental space on the market.
What the recession has revealed on Wall Street isn't that the Emperor has no clothes. It's that the Emperor is shabby. And tacky. And no one has the guts or desire to tell him otherwise.
Wall Street workers and tourists, outside The Trump Building, a portion of which has been empty for some months, November 16, 2009 about 2:00PM.
The Pink store, a luxury retailer of business shirts, cufflinks and ties on Wall Street, empty on November 16, 2009 about 2:00PM
Tourists pass by executive management of the company Nu Skin celebrating Investor Day outside the New York Stock Exchange on November 16, 2009 about 2:00PM.
Wall Street worker reads over document outside building on November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
Side by side retail comparison: an empty Tumi store and a busy shoe-shine and repair shop on Wall Street, November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
Wall Street workers line up for lunch at one of the street's many Middle Eastern lunch carts, November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
The BMW Manhattan store on Wall Street, empty on November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
An advertisement on the side of a phone booth by a financial services placement company aimed at financial services workers looking for a new job, on Wall Street, November 17, 2009 about 12:30PM
Wall Street's "Sad Panda" waving for tips outside of One Wall Street, November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM. The Sad Panda is a 62 year old man from Guangzhou, Chen Jialing, living in the United States for many years, who became Sad Panda after being forced to leave his former restaurant job.
Tourists pause for a picture outside the New York Stock Exchange, November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM
Pigeons scramble for crumbs on Wall Street, November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM
Street vendor sells "Wall Street Icons" - primarily money & bulls - November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM
Wall Street worker stands outside building lobby for a smoke, November 17, 2009 about 12:00PM
posted by bridget at
9:16 PM
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