Photographers including Roe Ethridge, Ryan McGinley, Jamel Shabazz and Rosalind Fox Solomon share their personal visions of the city for Aperture’s Spring issue
New York is always evolving, and the last 12 months saw it take on a new form. The once-bustling city was forced into silence as Covid tore through its streets, with businesses shuttered, landmarks closed and residents forced into their homes. However, despite all the challenges, New Yorkers are adapting – and Aperture is celebrating their resilience.
The Spring issue of the photography magazine is celebrating the city’s captivating legacy, tracing its ambitious architectural beginnings, right up to the social shakeups of 2020. There are contributions from Ryan McGinley, who shares a new project about Stonewall activists; Roe Ethridge, who celebrates the grit and glamour of Rockaway Beach; and Jamel Shabazz, who shares his joy-infused portraits of 1980s street culture, to name just a few. There are also never-before-seen photographs from Rosalind Fox Solomon and Saul Leiter, and writing from Lynne Tillman, New Yorker critic Hilton Als, and acclaimed historian Tanisha C Ford.
To celebrate the launch, Aperture is teaming up with the Rockefeller Center to create a month-long events programme dedicated to the city. As well as an IRL public art exhibition and a pop-up print store, there will also be a virtual talk series, including conversations with magazine contributors like Shabazz and Irina Rozovsky (who recently released a ten-year project on the magic of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park). The events will be free, and open to viewers all over the world.
“After a year of relying on online activities for connection with our audiences and community, we are deeply appreciative of the opportunity Rockefeller Center has given us, to be live and present in the cultural fabric of New York City once again,” says Chris Boot, executive director of Aperture Foundation, in a statement. “While our work plays a national and global role, New York is the source of our energy and our lifeblood. We are very excited to be back on the streets, and to be contributing to the resurgence of culture in New York this spring.”
Aperture’s “New York” issue is available now, and the talk series will run between March 27 and April 30, 2021. You can register for events here.