Exhibitions: Click! A Crowd-Curated Exhibition

Nelson Bakerman. Iron Workers/ 330 Jay St. , 2002. All rights reserved

Artist Statement

Downtown's 330 Jay Street marked the start of a new era of large-scale construction in Brooklyn. Replacing the dismal WPA-era Supreme & Family Court buildings, 330 Jay's 32 stories of state-of-the-art facilities provide a dignified setting for the administration of justice. Meanwhile, the old Family Court building has had its own renaissance--as a high school serving a new generation of Brooklynites. This image of iron workers atop 330 Jay Street was made in 2002 using a Hasselblad XPan panoramic camera and Ilford Delta 400 film.

15 Comments

Amazing.

Killer capture; among the better ones I've seen in this baby-and-snapshot fest. The one constructive crit I have is that a little bit of DOF - to separate the workers & steel beams from the backdrop - might have enhanced this a bit. But very well shot.

Echos of the photo's of workers on the Empire State Building in the 30's. nice nostalgia/modern mix.

One photo... past, present and future.... Perfect!

unusual perspective and right on in terms of the theme. Literal but effective.

Evocative of the pre-war shots of untethered workers dozens of stories in the air, rooting in a box lunch. The nonchalance is as necessary as a hard hat.

reminiscent of the Empire State Building photo of the construction workers.

I liked how while the construction depicts change, the artists technique is reminiscent of older photos from the 20's of the same thing. Plays with progress as a continuum.

I feel like this image is particularly creative. The view captured here is spectacular, but the image itself is a little too "classic".

art historical reference, panoramic shot. This is great. It should be hung 3x life size on the completed building

recalls early to mid twentieth century classic shots anyone can find in the library or local museum this motif still works always will

Love this image because it reminds me of quintessential NYC construction photos. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

My only complaint is that this shot isn't larger. Otherwise the quality of this photo is truly on point.

I think that this piece really does represent Brooklyn. Unlike some pieces that are good pictures but represent nothing significant or just random this truly shows Brooklyn the way I have known it as a kid and when i go back to visit.

The nostalgia here unbelieveable. I thought at just quick glance that it was the Empire State Building photo from the 1930s... — Posted by patty