On the Wall

Papa Tango

I See Things...
Itinerant Pragmatist
Joined
Feb 10, 2023
Messages
352
Post Score
937
Location
Corning, NY
angry-wall.jpg


Title: Angry Wall
Fujifilm X-T5; NIKKOR AF-S DX 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

A group of local artists in Corning, NY created this public art installation several years ago. It is made of a paper mache-like material covering a frame of some sort. I have no idea what the intended meanings are, and neither did any of the shopkeepers on Market Street... :unsure:
 
I was curious…
“The face, created in 1997 by Tom Gardner, is called "The Critic." The congressman's office was formerly Gardner's studio, and Gardner built the face when the adjacent building was torn down. His inspiration was a grimacing souvenir coffee mug that he bought in Virginia.“
 
How soon the history of a place or thing is forgotten in the common mind.

1997 was riding the rising crest of a renaissance for Market Street, the main drag arterial through downtown Corning. As noted in the article you likely read, this was the second sculpture, the other on the Rockwell Museum. The 'cup' installation had fallen into quite some disrepair until two years ago when it was restored.
 
Did you ever locate Mr. Goldman? :unsure:

This image stands on its own. The viewer interprets it how they will--and at first I saw it as a "serendipity" as you described, a synchronicity of things that "BOOM" there he was standing there. For whatever reason is left to the interpreter.

Understanding your narrative of how this image came to be may resonate well with viewers. Even more, for those photographers among us it illuminates someone's working process and sensibilities.

For other readers, here is a link to Josh's explanation of the image:

 
👍 amazing that Ricochet’s MF thread is still active after 3 years ….. 27 pages. When I posted to it I was in a nostalgic haze remembering how much I enjoyed MF for streetwork. I often engaged with subjects to create street portraits but also did manage to capture discrete moments. In my original post one of the photos was in Venezia with me hanging out a window holding the camera upside down over my head to capture a passerby at a canal.
This Venice boardwalk portrait was feeling stifled for me because it was more arranged than I normally shot in the street. While talking to Hy? I waited for a moment of movement. He reached to adjust his glasses and …
 
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I have always loved that photo Fred. You may have told me but i didn't remember that the entire building was being invaded!
 

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