Opening Reception, Thursday, December 12, 2019 4PM-6PM
Music by Blue Note Recording Artist, Joel Ross (Vibraphone), and Immanuel Wilkins (Alto Sax) Light Refreshments will be served

Manhattan Bridges by Zachary Ara Elmassian
Exhibition Dates: Friday, December 6, 2019 - to January 17, 2020

Since moving to New York City, I have developed a strong attraction to photography. I do not think this is an abnormal development since the city begs to be photographed. The city’s essence—the people, the architecture, the juxtaposition of old and new, the quickened pace, the overdone and oversized—conspires to captivate those who take it all in. Arguably, art is everywhere.

In particular, I have found architecture and structure most rewarding, and the reward is best during those “golden hours” of sunrise and sunset. This city receives fantastic light. After all, NYC is on the same latitudinal line as Madrid and Rome.

Manhattan is an island, so obviously, bridges play a pivotal role in the integration and flow of the city. Bridges connect and bring together and are a symbolic gateway to the beyond. The metaphor has probably been replayed countless times over, but worth thinking about nonetheless. Rather than these symbolic overtones, however, a bridge’s structure and immensity are what attract my attention. Truly amazing achievements of human ingenuity and planning, Manhattan’s beautifully diverse array of bridges offers resplendent sights and impressive histories. For example, during the construction of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (completed in 1964), shown here at twilight, the circumference of Earth had to be taken into account—the tops of the towers are inches farther apart than the base of the towers. While photographing, it is my goal, more often than not, to compose the photo in such a way as to coerce the photographed object to transcend itself. In photography, an object may become something more or something less. It is for the viewer to decide what they are looking at in the photograph and how they look at it. Most of these examples represent that objective. Thus, the components of the bridge and, in effect, the bridge itself, become something else. Perhaps this is where symbolism and metaphor can come into play?

I feel very privileged and thankful to showcase this work. It’s a budding hobby that I am happy to share. It is my hope that we will be driven to look at things—the routine, the hackneyed, the commonplace, the overdone—and appreciate more of what is really there and what it can become.

– Zachary Ara Elmassian. DAUS Staff Member