Last night, I attended the annual Village Halloween Parade. The weather was perfect and the turnout was phenomenal. The number of attendees (1 million) and congestion is unimaginable, and going in as a photographer with a press pass (as I did) or as a marcher is the only way I would consider it at this point. I have spectated from the barricades many years before – streets are blocked off and pedestrians are directed, restricted, and hoarded, with the spectators piled many persons deep. It’s hard to get decent viewing without getting there 1.5 hours in advance for a front row position against the barricades. In the next couple of days, I will post again on the parade, featuring photos and posting a collection of the best on a supplementary site as I did last year. But first, I have to sift through the 540 photos I took…
- Category Archives fashion
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Village Parade 2007 Preview
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Mr. Moon
I had no idea what the inspiration for this was. Unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to ask; the character and guide were quite busy adjusting the wardrobe and negotiating a slow, careful, coordinated promenade down the block and through the crowd at the recent Kitchen Highline Block Party. Click here for more photos. This was the visual tour de force of the day, with oohs and ahs and cameras snapping. I tried to ascertain whether this beauty is a character of literature, myth, fable, children’s story, opera, ballet, traditional ethnic figure, or is he/she just an original creation? Note that the person who is visible walks on stilts.Then, on close examination of the photos I took, I noticed a paper-cutout drawing hanging around the neck of the companion. Enlarging the photo shows what appears to be a multi-limbed character, with the title “Mr. Moon” clearly labeled below it. Click here for the evidence. But is Mr. Moon the main character or guide? An online search reveals a number of characters named Mr. Moon (including a children’s book called Pink Magic). But I don’t find a mention of a multi-legged character. Any suggestions?
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Out There
Oh yes, this person is way out there. An infrequent regular to Washington Square Park, I caught him styling through one morning. Those of us who spend some time in the neighborhood have caught him in a variety of wardrobes, always walking tall and proud – no shy demeanor or closet behavior here. I know nothing about him. This is the latest in a series of exhibitionistic regulars and other flagrant and unusual acts which I have documented in this park: Spike, Narcissism Gone Wild, Water Sprites, Wood Nymph, War and Peace, Spring Madness, The Dance Parade, The Krishna Fest, PDA, Dyke March, Singing Bowls, Spinning, Twelve Tribes, Penny Farthing, Homeless Art, Superheroes, Snake Charmer, and Circus Amok. There are many which I have not documented: the 9/11 Mysteries group who believes that 9/11 was a the result of a controlled demolition; Wednesday nights we have the Christians preaching and giving out free food; Mennonites singing and preaching to passersby (one of the most startling contrasts is to see wholesome religious folk in their classic attire in Manhattan); the ritual sacrifice of a chicken on 6/6/06. And we have a stable of regulars who are genuinely askew. We sometimes jokingly refer to the place as an asylum…
For more of André, go here.
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Piercing Al Fresco
This photo is a footnote to yesterday’s posting about the Police Riot Concert held in Washington Square Park. Click here for a photo collection. When I told people, young and old, that I had photographed piercings being done outdoors on the ground, everyone had the same reaction: “Outdoors, on the ground?” But I found it in keeping with the defiant spirit of the event. After all, I am not sure that prudence, propriety, and proper procedure apply to attendees of a punk rock concert. At first glance, I was not sure why these people were sitting on the ground looking looking at something, but closer examination revealed the object of interest to be a small zippered case opened to display body piercing jewelry and disposable rubber gloves (and, I imagine, the piercing tools themselves). Actually, it appeared that the piercer was operating as professionally as she could under the circumstances.Body piercing, of course, has a long history and large subculture. It’s a world unto itself, with many facets: the jewelry, the procedure and tools (sterilization, autoclaves, needles, cannula, scalpelling, dermal punching), healing and cleaning, allergic reactions, scarring, keloids, infections both bacterial and viral, where to pierce, etc. Click here for a good overview…
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Police Riot Concert
This was an event that really caught me by surprise. No one I met was aware that it was to be held, apart from the many music fans. The annual Police Riot concert is typically held in Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, but this year, the concert was rescheduled for Washington Square. The concert, which featured Leftöver Crack (a group that has been been banned from several NYC venues), commemorated the 19th anniversary of the police riots of August 6-7, 1988 in Tompkins Square Park.The park at that time had essentially been taken over by drug dealers, skinheads, and squatting homeless. The riot, which occurred on the day of a rally, protesting a recently enacted curfew, was seen as largely police-incited as a result of mishandling on their part. Many complaints of police brutality were made, along with public condemnations (such as in the New York Times) against the police department and the commissioner, Benjamin Ward.
In addition to Leftöver Crack, the groups who performed were False Prophets, World Inferno Friendship Society, Planned Collapse, and Witch Hunt. There were guest speakers, such as Norman Siegel (former ACLU director). Event-appropriate books and magazines were being sold.
The concert was essentially punk rock, however, more specifically, there were elements of ska, hardcore, crust punk, and metal. The music was LOUD, of course, and spontaneous moshing occurred with stage diving. This event was a superb photo opportunity – the Mohawks, hair colors, clothing, piercings, mosh pits, and stage diving made great subjects in a perfect clear day’s afternoon light. Click here for a photo set of the concert…
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Sisterhood
New York City is one large film set. The streets, parks, and other outdoor settings are used, as well as studios such as Silvercup. At any given time, there are dozens of films, commercials, TV shows, and music videos, not to mention amateur or student productions (NYU has one of the best film schools in the country). The mayor’s office of film has a website of current productions (I don’t always find it complete, however).Last fall, I did two postings on the filming of I Am Legend, the largest film production I have seen in the city, running over two weeks (click here for the first posting and here for the second). This week alone, there have been two motion pictures filming in Washington Square Park, a popular venue for filming owing to its attractive environs (the row houses on the north side, e.g.) and iconic and recognizable elements, such as the Washington Square Arch. That Sunday night, a car crash was being filmed – this was scheduled for 2-3 AM, after the park’s closing. Generally, the film crews are cooperative and accommodating to the community and those around the sets.
Yesterday morning, I happened across another film being made. During a break in the filming, passersby were allowed to resume walking in the shooting areas, so I was able to snag a few photos. I was surprised to learn that this was a major motion picture – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Part 2. I never saw part one and am not familiar with any of the original actors. I am not sure who the two women in the photo are and whether they are major or minor characters…
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Mermaid Parade 2007 Part 2
(see Part 1 here for more photos)
This is part two of the 2007 Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Please click on the photo for an enlarged, detailed view. This collage represents a small number of the 300+ photos I took at the parade. I endeavored to show the diversity of costumes that were present. As you can see, the themes of art parades in NYC are not policed, and many of the costumes certainly go beyond what one would expect in a Mermaid Parade: hula hoopers, goth garb, ghoulish characters, alien invasions, geishas, visual puns (like the Seapranos), Coney Island postcard groups, and creative assemblages. Of course, there were mermaids, anemones, nautiluses, brassieres from shells, seahorses, lobsters, and a myriad of other sea creatures. The creativity was overwhelming and tough to absorb and process with the volume and speed at which these remarkable displays passed by the spectators. Trying to get decent photos in this intense environment was a challenge. If you check back here in a day or so, I should have a link for more photos of the parade on my Flickr site…
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Mermaid Parade 2007
This has become my favorite parade – it’s on the boardwalk, at the beach (yet reachable by subway), in NYC, beautiful mermaids, blue everywhere, Astroland with the Cyclone and Wonderwheel as backdrop, manageable in size, imaginative creative costumes, and a spirited atmosphere. Add a sunny day with blue skies and what’s not to like? It’s surprising how many have still not heard of the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2007. Click here and here for my postings of the 2006 parade.Founded in 1983 by Coney Island USA, the not-for-profit arts organization that also produces the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, the Mermaid Parade pays homage to Coney Island’s forgotten Mardi Gras, which lasted from 1903 to 1954. The Mermaid Parade celebrates the sand, the sea, the salty air, and the beginning of summer, as well as the history and mythology of Coney Island, Coney Island pride, and artistic self-expression. The Parade is characterized by participants dressed in hand-made costumes as Mermaids, Neptunes, various sea creatures, the occasional wandering lighthouse, Coney Island post card, or amusement ride, as well as antique cars, marching bands, drill teams, and the odd yacht pulled on flatbed. Each year, a different celebrity King Neptune and Queen Mermaid rule over the proceedings, riding in the Parade and assisting in the opening of the Ocean for the summer swimming season by marching down the Beach from the Boardwalk, cutting through Ribbons representing the seasons, and tossing fruit into the Atlantic to appease the Sea Gods. In the past, David Byrne, Queen Latifah, Ron Kuby, Curtis Sliwa, Moby, and David Johansen have presided over the assembled masses. Click here for their official website.
Even though I set aside the day to see the event, I still missed many of the events: floats and autos on Surf Avenue, the costume judging, and the Mermaid Parade Ball. Tomorrow I will post a collection of the best photos of the hundreds I took in Part 2…
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Blue Man Group
I have not done any theater on this site; photography during a theater performance is taboo, and exteriors of most theaters themselves are not the most visually compelling. Plus, the shows themselves are quite well-marketed and reviewed by those better qualified than myself. However, Blue Man Group has become more than a show (click here for their website). They are an institution and an industry, with performances in New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Oberhausen, and Orlando. They have several CDs, DVDs, an online store with a plethora of merchandise, and two musical toys developed for children. They have done film and TV scoring, commercials, television programs (like Scrubs and Arrested Development), and a children’s museum exhibit, Making Waves, which is currently touring the country. Their appearance in the Intel commercial campaign in 2000 brought them international visibility.The group itself was formed in 1988 by Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, and Chris Wink, motivated by an interest in creating a show which involved audience collaboration. Their first theater performances were at La MaMa in the East Village; in 1991, they moved to the Astor Place Theater (seen in the photo). The characters are three mute Blue Men (played by rotating cast members), their faces in blue grease paint and wearing nondescript black clothing. The extraordinarily unique performance art show, called Tubes, is heavily music-oriented – numerous unique instruments were created by the group, such as the tubulum, drumbone, and airpoles. Comedy, satire, social commentary, irony, painting, percussion, clowning, and sophisticated lighting effects are all there, along with numerous substances (including food and paint) thrown and ejected, some of which may hit audience members – the first few rows are provided with plastic ponchos…
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Parasol
In order to make this photo and story work, I wanted to make a case for the resurgence of the parasol. Perhaps a little spin on the facts. Certainly the use of parasols makes the utmost sense, since avoidance of the sun is now of paramount importance with ozone depletion, skin cancer, sunburn, and freckling. Plus, hats don’t shield enough and can lead to the dreaded hat hair. And then there is the sun-shunning goth crowd. So in a way, I’m surprised that parasols aren’t HUGE, since they can also be a fashion statement. I did uncover an article in 2005 from the Village Voice that proclaimed the parasol’s emergence from the 1920s, citing two shops in the city that are seeing a renewed interest: Rain or Shine and Brella Bar (Update 1/30/12: Now closed).The collapsible umbrella/parasol is of Chinese origin, dating back nearly 2000 years. They are still produced in large numbers with a variety of colors, patterns, and materials, so Asian product stores such as Pearl River are great places to go for selection and pricing. I do occasionally see more women with parasols on sunny, hot, or hazy days. (BTW, the dog in the photo is a Wheaten Terrier). In 2001, there was a photo that rocked the world: personal assistant Fonzworth Bentley holding an umbrella over P. Diddy’s head in Saint Tropez. Perhaps the male parasol is not too far away…
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Narcissism Gone Wild
If there appears to be a fashion or commercial shoot going on here, there is not, neither by me nor by anyone else. This woman definitely gets the day’s prize for color and style meets attitude. I’ve noticed when photographing human subjects that many of the most flamboyant are the least perturbed by photographers (click here). Whereas taking candid shots typically requires some finessing, with subjects like this, I have discovered that most will try to act unaware yet virtually pose when they know that they are being photographed.Upon reflection, this may seem like what one might expect – that anyone dressed and posturing like this has to be somewhat exhibitionistic and would enjoy being the object of attention and the subject of photography. However, with people, I have learned to make no assumptions. As I have said in Caravan of Dreams, some individuals get upset or even hostile and threatening, particularly the homeless. I would prefer getting permission from a subject, but this would generally ruin the composition of most street photography involving subjects – either losing the moment or encouraging a less natural posed shot. And then there is the issue that taking photographs in public is a right, with certain exceptions and caveats…
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Dance Parade
The 2007 Dance Parade caught me (and many others) off guard – I had no idea that this event was being held when I ran into it. I would deem it a tremendous success, given that it was a first annual event, with cold weather and rain, which did not deter dancers or observers. The parade worked its way from 32nd Street down Broadway and Fifth Avenue to end in Washington Square Park. The floats turned off towards Sixth Avenue – dancers remained in the park, where a stage was set up. Several hours of dancing ensued, both on and off stage – a DJ provided music.The raison d’etre for the parade, you may ask? From Dance Parade’s vision statement: “To celebrate diversity as ‘One Parade with Many Cultures.’ 49 genres are represented.” Click here for a list and more info on their website. Although the parade was not a protest, there was also a political agenda for some: change or repeal of the city’s cabaret law dating back to 1926 (enacted to restrict public lewdness and interracial mingling) – any venue where 3 or more people are dancing and food or drink is served requires a cabaret license. The law has been more aggressively enforced since the 1990s, where it has used to combat quality-of-life complaints and troublesome clubs. Difficult to obtain, only 69 establishments have cabaret licenses in Manhattan.
Attendance along the parade route was light, but turnout in the park was huge, where participants along with gawkers filled the park plaza. Judging by this year’s revelry, I think this parade will become very successful in the years to come…
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Tale of Two Colors
Yesterday evening, a friend pointed out a young woman (Anna) who was remarkably immersed in shades of blue/turquoise/aqua – aqua shirt, turquoise sweatshirt, blue sneakers, light blue/aqua beverage container, and blue-green on her cigarette pack. Her friend also had her own blue-green accents and beverage. While deciding whether or not this was a blog-worthy event (I am a big fan of turquoise & aqua, so objectivity was a problem), to our amazement, along came a yellow-themed woman (Rachael) – golden blond hair, yellow shirt, and yellow accented sneakers which also had blue accents matching Anna’s (not to mention a hot pink phone and matching trim on her sneaker tongues).This color event was too unique to pass up – I asked if they would mind posing together, and they obliged. Anna and Rachael are both NYU students. Hoping to get the shade descriptions right, I spent a little time this morning reviewing the differences between turquoise, aqua, aquamarine, teal, peacock, cyan, cerulean, and azure…
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Cappuccino & Tattoo
This is Fun City Cappuccino & Tattoo, a unique fusion of two extremely popular things, both with a long and international history. Tattooing is certainly not new or uniquely New York – it can be traced back thousands of years, and the term itself is Polynesian. Tattooing was banned in the city from 1961 (when an outbreak of hepatitis B was traced to a tattoo parlor) to March 27, 1997, when it was re-legalized. But, ironically, the American-style tattoo was born here in Chatham Square (Chinatown) at the turn of the century. Later, in the 1920s, with the advent of electronic tattooing, the practice moved to the ports of NYC (Coney Island and the Brooklyn Navy Yard), catering to sailors. The period when tattooing was banned here was the time it became the mainstay of hippies and bikers. Tattooing went underground in the city and was eclipsed by other cities, such as San Francisco. Since the re-legalization, NYC has been playing catch-up.One of the early practitioners was Jonathan Shaw (whose father was the bandleader Artie Shaw), original owner of Fun City Tattoo, the oldest tattoo parlor in the city dating back to 1976 (as a private studio) (read the history here at their website – click on the “Press” link). The photo is of the business’s public incarnation at 94 St. Marks Place, dating back to 1991. Michelle Myles is the new owner – she also runs Daredevil Tattoo on Ludlow Street.
Tattoos have certainly shed much of their criminal, outlaw, or bad boy image – it is now popular in the burbs as well as in cities. Estimates are that 16% of the population has a tattoo. No person in the United States is reported to have contracted HIV via a commercially-applied tattooing process. Still not interested? Perhaps a beautiful temporary henna (Mehandi) tattoo. Or perhaps just a cappuccino…
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Flora
Yesterday was the NYC GROWS Garden Festival, which was held in Union Square. This event was NYC’s celebration of National Garden Month. Our lady in the photo was created by Target, who sponsored the event. She was a big hit, with visitors taking photos of each other with her as backdrop. I thought she was beautifully done, with all manner of plants/flowers so cleverly used and her bevy of topiary dogs. Click here for more photos.I am not a gardener, but I can understand the benefits of being connected to something as important as plant life and seeing living things grow. In a time where everything is about speed and immediate gratification, gardening is a useful antidote by teaching patience – involvement in a process that can’t be rushed, where one MUST wait for results. A useful metaphor, for many of the things of value in life take time to come to fruition. I asked a Target rep if she had a name, and sadly, she did not. After considering many options this morning, I thought Flora might be an appropriate choice…
