Scenes of Buffalo in Rochester: Gregory Halpern at the Eastman Museum
A Review Of "19 Winters/7 Springs"
Gregory Halpern’s photography may be broadly characterized as “social realism,” although Halpern consciously constructs each (vertical. always vertical.) frame to communicate the sublime. There are no candid images; each subject is posed and commands the attention of the viewer.
Halpern was born and raised in Buffalo; he describes its winters as “surreal” and “dreamlike.” 19 Winters/7 Springs succeeds in communicating the transcendence of Buffalo’s seasons in the faces of its people, mud-spattered clothes, and abandoned, shredded umbrellas.
Founded in 1947 as an independent nonprofit institution, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the oldest film archives.
The George Eastman Museum is attached to the Eastman Mansion and reflects a time two generations ago, when captains of industry donated a portion of their tremendous wealth to local projects rather than hoarding it or building penis-shaped rockets for their own amusement.
19 Winters/7 Springs is on display through March 3, 2024 at the Eastman Museum in Rochester.