Author Archives: Patrick Amsellem

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About Patrick Amsellem

Patrick Amsellem is the Associate Curator of Photography at the Brooklyn Museum. Formerly a curator at the Rooseum Center for Contemporary Art in Malmö, Sweden, Patrick organized the first Swedish exhibition of the work of Andreas Gursky and was part of the curatorial team that produced a major series of exhibitions under the leadership of Lars Nittve. He has written about art for Stockholm’s major newspaper Svenska Dagbladet and was also a critic for the Swedish daily newspaper Kvällposten and for Swedish Public Radio. Patrick has taught at New York University and is the author of several exhibition catalogues. He received a Ph.D. in Art History from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts.

Object of the Month: August 2010: Miscegenated Family Album

It’s when a work of art is able to communicate on many different levels at the same time – when it can speak to audiences on both an emotional and intellectual level – that I often feel it’s the most … Continue reading

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Hank Willis Thomas on View

Last year I blogged about a great new acquisition, Hank Willis Thomas’ “Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America.” I am thrilled that we have now installed this series of 41 photographs on the Museum’s fifth floor. It is a … Continue reading

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Hank Willis Thomas

One major recent acquisition is Hank Willis Thomas’ series “Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America.” The whole series consists of 82 images, two for each year from 1968 to 2008, and the acquisition includes half of the series: one … Continue reading

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Dash Snow

The Museum recently acquired some great new photography. Much of it will be on view this coming August when we open a new show with material from the Contemporary Collection. In this delicate group of black and white photographs, Dash … Continue reading

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Sarah Baley

Sarah Baley’s show “Bois” opened at Collette Blanchard Gallery on the Lower East Side last Thursday night and we are very happy to have this image by Sarah in the collection. Sarah Baley (American, born 1969).  Dug, 2005. From the … Continue reading

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Modern Coney

Lynn Hyman Butler, American, born 1953. The Girl with a Gun. From the series “Coney Island Kaleidoscope” ca. 1988. Cibachrome color print. sheet: 11 x 13 3/4 in. image: 9 x 13 1/4 in. Gift of Ilford Photo Corporation. 1991.59.6 … Continue reading

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A Coney Island Renaissance?

As many of the postings on Flickr illustrate, images of Coney Island frequently capture a gritty and often sadly neglected landscape. But this kind of urban exploration, especially of an area like Coney, which has always attracted a broad range … Continue reading

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Classic Coney Rides

It’s great to see all the amazing contributions to the Flickr group for Goodbye Coney Island?. This is proof that Coney Island still attracts photographers from all over, as it did since its early beginnings. Amateur photographers went out to … Continue reading

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Steeplechase, Luna Park, and Dreamland

The history of Coney Island from the 1890s and through the first decade of the 20th century is very much the history of three successful amusement parks: Steeplechase, Luna Park, and Dreamland. The Tilyou family had been influential in developing … Continue reading

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Coney Island & Entertainment

Coney Island has a long history as a place for entertainment. Even before the creation of the three great amusement parks around 1900, the area was enormously popular with visitors looking for fun. The first inn, Coney Island House, was … Continue reading

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Goodbye Coney Island?

Last week we finished the installation of the small photography show Goodbye Coney Island? in the Luce Alcove on the fifth floor of the Museum. When I was told over the summer that this space would become available, I immediately … Continue reading

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Earlier this week, we installed two striking new photographs in the Museum’s American Identities galleries on the fifth floor, Soldier Claxton and Soldier Mickelson. They are part of a large series of soldiers’ portraits by the New York-based photographer Suzanne … Continue reading

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