Outside Cultural Events 3: Formations Gallery

                When I went to the gallery, I was not expecting to see what I saw. I don’t know what I was expecting but what I got was a wide array of photographs that were thought provoking and unique. The photographs range from abstract composites to slice of life photos. It was interesting to see how the artists style and range of works changed and grew over the years, seeing the backstories for each of the photos. My favorite however were the photos where I did not read the backstories and could instead ponder what the artist envisioned when he took/made it and why. What was the significance of the photo or the things in the photo. Of all the photos my favorite was the one with the ships sailing in the buildings as if they were an ocean. I still have yet to fully understand what it means but if I had to take a guess, I would say that it involves the fact that Harlem lies on the bank of the Hudson River, a river frequently trafficked by ships and the impact that has on the community, be it benefiting the economy or disturbing the residents. I’m left wondering if these pictures still represent life in Harlem or if it is different today? Overall, I really enjoyed the exhibition however I wish that they had more on the artist. I don’t mean more work but more information about them, what caused the changes in their work, what they were trying to achieve with the pictures.