New City, New York
1976
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 21.6 x 32.7 cm (8 1/2 x 12 7/8 in.) sheet: 27.8 x 35.4 cm (10 15/16 x 13 15/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Robert B. Menschel Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.313
Art Historical Context
Lee Friedlander's *New City, New York (1976) captures the bustling energy of urban America through the lens of one of the 20th century's master street photographers. Friedlander, a key figure in the "New School" of photography, is renowned for his democratic approach to the everyday—crowded with signs, reflections, and architectural fragments that layer the image like a visual puzzle. This gelatin silver print, measuring 21.6 x 32.7 cm, his signature style: a complex, off-kilter composition that embraces the chaos of city life without romanticizing it. Created during New York City's gritty 19...
About the Artist
Lee Friedlander
Lee Friedlander, born on July 14, 1934, in Aberdeen, Washington, to a Finnish-descended mother, Kaari Nurmi, and German-Jewish émigré father, Fritz Friedlander, discovered photography at age 14 amid a fascination with the medium's equipment. Tragedy marked his childhood when his mother died of cancer at age seven, yet he pursued his passion, earning pocket money with a camera before studying under...