Steve Schlackman

Ninos de la Calle 1

2011

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...

Black and white photography in Cuba.

Photographie tirée de l'ouvrage Habana Song (2019, éditions LOCO), prise lors d'un des nombreux voyages de l'artiste à Cuba. "Cuba n’est pas qu’une île. C’est un symbole politique. C’est aussi une part de notre imaginaire collectif. J’étais allé à Cuba à la fin des années 1990, au moment où les "Balseros" sur leurs radeaux de fortune essayaient d’atteindre Key West, en Floride, juste en face… Vingt ans plus tard, je reviens à La Havane, juste après la mort de Fidel Castro. La ville est en pleine mutation. Je suis hypnotisé par la superbe mélancolie de ce monde figé. Je sens vivre et vibrer un pays unique et cabossé, fier et contestataire, endormi et flamboyant. Les coins de rue photographiés par Walker Evans en 1933 sont toujours là, presque identiques. La puissance de la photographie m’éclabousse dans ce rapport intime à l’histoire, aux lieux et au temps qui passe. Ou qui ne passe pas… " Tiré par l'auteur lui-même par impression jet d'encre Fine art, ce tirage comporte de superbes nuances de noir, dans un ton légèrement chaud, avec un aspect de surface lustré. Tirage seul en format 30x40cm, signé au dos en bas à droite, excellent état. Il peut aussi être récupéré directement à la galerie, à Paris...

Music in Havana is an almost ever present backdrop to life… wandering the streets it is almost as though there is a soundtrack playing to the movie of your life. These school kids...