Steve Schlackman
Balcon Con Vista
2011

Name: Balcon Con Vista
Brand: Steve Schlackman
Price: 3000 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

This digital print is part of a limited edition set. Steve Schlackman is a lawyer by profession and a photographer by choice. Fascinated by the magical world of photography since his youth, he honed this skill over time, meticulously pouring over all things photographic, technical and creative alike, with unstoppable enthusiasm. Steve’s passion for taking photographs was ignited early on, during a study-abroad trip to Paris, where he immersed himself in all things art historical. Diligence, a strong trait Schlackman is known for, paid off, and after daily meanderings at the Louvre, a great love for art emerged along with hundreds of photographs. These pictures proved to be early tributes to the urban landscape, and although they didn’t amount to full-on series, a seed was planted. The omnipresent tension between the poor neighborhoods of the Cuban capital, as a result of political dictatorship, and the rich Afro-Cuban cultural roots of their inhabitants, whose wealth is represented by their music and feelings, is physically visible in Steve’s use of high contrast, a metaphoric touch on the subject of the light and darkness of the Afro-Cuban heritage. Although intentionally apolitical, the pictures speak volumes about the Cuban status quo and, appropriately, the eternal joy of living despite socio-political hardship. Play, in and of itself a mode to survive the harsh reality, represents another subject Steve is keen on capturing. Whether it is adults playing dominoes, cards, musical instruments, or bands of kids flinging makeshift baseball bats, these activities are performed in communion, inadvertently ritualistic and therefore vital within the larger context of a tight-knit society. Children in particular hold a dear place in Steve’s vision of Cuba – they serve as symbols of idyllic purity and hope. The shimmery skin, the intense gaze, the sheer camaraderie and real belief in the momentous win, transfer to the viewer a strong feeling of reverie rarely found in urban photography. We are invited for a few minutes to contemplate children at play, a return to innocence again, where living is celebrated for one reason alone – that of simply being alive.

Creator:

Steve Schlackman (American)

Creation Year:

2011

Dimensions:

Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 40 in (101.6 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)

Medium:

Archival Pigment,Photographic Paper,Archival Paper,Digital

Movement & Style:

Contemporary

Period:

2010-