Iwan Baan's name may ring a bell for all those following Hurricane Sandy's devastation across New York City and New Jersey's coast. The photographer's iconic photograph made headlines when it was featured on New York magazine's front page days after the storm, showing lower Manhattan in complete darkness, set against its vibrant counterpart uptown, as the United States' east coast was recovering from the extensive damage left in Sandy's wake. The image not only brings to mind the absolute helplessness that New York City faced during the storm, but also lends a hand in a social commentary that is notably pervasive in Baan's work. The Perry Rubenstein Gallery in Los Angeles will feature the photographer's work in a two-month exhibition entitled The Way We Live, honing in on the images that encapsulate the world of architecture, urbanism and human engagement.
Catherine Opie has photographed people and architecture in and around Los Angeles, California for over twenty-five years. She has successfully captured the interplay between architecture and urban life by photographing the subcultures and castaways of Los Angeles, from the undersides of freeways to lonely Beverly Hills mansions. These works create a portrait of Los Angeles as a singular built environment.