LandLords 

New works by Rafael Fuchs

February 21st.-March 30th. 2014

Artist statement:
The idea for this exhibition is based on 3 personal experiences with 3 different Hasidic landlords that occurred in the past few years.
One in Williamsburg (2004), and 2 in Bushwick (2008 and 2010)
Those bitter incidents were the sources for my creative expression. As the famous biblical sentence: "Out of the strong came something sweet" ("me'az yatza matok", the story about Samson, Judges 14:12)

In the past few years I became intrigued with challenging direct photography representation and exploring it aesthetically. 
I hope that the artwork itself is  surpassing any finger pointing stage, and is, successfully, exploring the art media by introducing photography into contemporary art making.

Aside from practicing the media of portraiture and street photography for many years, I have been creating in the past photographic tableaux that derived from a literal concept.
My artistic challenge now is to explore the expression of a concept that is combining  a thread of stories about landlords with the issue of moral boundaries in a multi-layered image.

For this body of work I use my photography as a starting point,  and I expand it with additional layers added digitally.
I am incorporating some of the portraits of the landlords that I photographed. I am also adding nude images from photo shoots that were done on the premises of the lofts owned by the landlords as well as interiors and urban scenery with Hasidic people that are connected to them indirectly. 
The final complex image is dissected then to fragments that create, separately and collectively, my own story and my own explorations.
They could ignite thoughts and conversations about the role of the landlords in shaping a neighborhood versus the role of the artists that inhabit the area, about the moral issues of business ethics, about the responsibility of an artist in presenting artworks and most importantly for me, about challenging photography itself.

My hopes are that the exhibition will have a positive impact on the communication between landlords and the artists community and will improve the understanding between the Hasidic culture  and the rest of the world. 

All artworks are limited editions archival inkjet prints in different sizes.

A portion of the sales of this show will go to nyfa.org

To see more work of the artist: click HERE

To see review from CCNY about Landlords exhibition click HERE