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The city lost millions of taxes, millions of people lost their jobs, and wealthy urbanites fled to the suburbs. This can easily be described in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic or in the late 1970s and early 1980s (during Jill Friedman's Street Police series). This time capsule photography exhibition is the artist's first exhibition since his death in 2019, showing a seemingly gone New York. But after spending long enough on these photos, there will be a through train: the relationship between blacks and the police, the mental health and social work burdens of untrained police, and gender inequality in the workplace.
When exhibiting at Daniel Cooney Fine Art, Jill Freedman's project reappeared as New York once again faced conflict and instability. These 50 photos spanned from 1978 to 1981, showing working moments in the neighborhoods around Midtown South, Times Square and Bryant Park, and the 9th District East Village. These dynamic stills hit the point: the confrontation between the police and the suspect, robbery to solve the case or arrest, such as "making a collar." Friedman embedded himself in these areas to take these photos. An interview collected in a published street police copy, which is placed at the end of the exhibition, adding a sound to the hustle and bustle of each scene.
In claustrophobia "the police must be everything to everyone", the policeman's face is cut off by the edges of the photo, the suspect's face, and a hat. In the background, the windows were boarded up and posted a "rental" sign. The scene was bleak. Because Friedman is so close to the location of the police, suspects, and civilians, these police, suspects, and civilians seem to go in and out, so the image is very noisy and very textured. The tension is obvious, and the scene feels dark even at noon. The restrained man wearing a fisherman hat looked out of the frame with concern. At this moment, things out of sight seemed to worry him more than being caught by a group of policemen.
Friedman captures moments by approaching her subjects, reaching the emotional core of a group. In her first important publication, "Old News: Resurrection City", she recorded the movement of the poor after Martin Luther King was assassinated, filmed and protested against economic and social injustice. Later, she followed the circus performers for several months, and then followed the New York Fire Department's fires in Harlem and the South Bronx. For the street police, Friedman followed the beating of the police for two years, not only recording the violence and heartache, but also capturing the police's love for their community, such as "He said that being a policeman means having respect and friendship", or they are in The way to laugh at work, such as "We got a job in a restaurant." When the approval rating of the New York Police Department was at a historically low level, approaching her subject-even if the camera flashed in their eyes, the police did Relaxed vigilance against her-established trust and empathy.
"Police and Firemen" showed first responders, a group of firemen and policemen, surrounding a cruiser. An officer flinched, struggling to get himself up in his seat. This is worrying because the images rarely show when the police need rescue or support and who intervenes. Breaking with traditional documentary photography or street photography, creating and relying on distance, Friedman became intimate with her subject. In the middle of the night, the distressed officer's face was clear. Friedman uses lights and angles to create tension and movement in each still. These are not static shots; the police are talking, looking or moving in some way: "They said, the man with the gun inside" is about to rush into the apartment to arrest someone. Each picture, either alone or combined with collected interviews, tells a story.
The street police spoke well of the uncertainty and despair of this period. The images are grouped by case: child and family disputes, robbery, violent demotion, robbery and sexual assault, neighbor relations. From the photos and interviews, it is clear that the police are the first in any scene, even if social workers or mental health professionals are more suitable. The number of images involving children is staggering. In "The police picked up a kid who looked lost", this was obviously the worst part of the police job. The little boy sitting in the back seat of the police car looked shocked, not relieved that he was found and was about to be sent back to his family.
These photos show violence and its cost to the soul, and the police know it well. "I hate seeing kids playing with guns," he said, showing a policeman discouraging two boys from playing with guns. One child is riding a bicycle leaning on the patrol car, and the other is holding a palm-sized miniature pistol. Even if they think of themselves as police officers, this is inappropriate and dangerous. In the car, a policeman pursed his mouth, preparing to step in and scold the two boys for playing around his car. Likewise, facial expressions are the focal point of Friedman's lens. She created disharmony for the audience. Bright-eyed smiling children play with toy weapons in front of police officers who understand the social reality of guns.
In "When I first started working, I was an idealist," six black men lined up against a wall in the South Midtown area. Even in the text that Friedman matched the photo, the background of the arrest is not clear. All of them turned their backs to the camera, except for the one who looked at the officer, all of them lowered their heads. The police officer’s personal data shows, as well as a small part of the man being called. Friedman caught the policeman's face, but he didn't get close enough to the black people to see their expressions clearly. We don't see the views of the people standing by the wall, only the views of the officers. Friedman's signature technology also became dazzling at this moment.
It is worth noting that the left-wing activist Freedman (Freedman) created a series that essentially supports law enforcement. In the preface of the book printed on the wall, she wrote down her decision to film the police: "I also want to show the tenderness and sympathy of good people, those who care and try to help." She interviewed the police, but They did not arrest anyone. Although the book includes several photos that document the presence of black men and women in the military, and she has deeply researched sexism in the workplace, she hardly mentions the high proportion of blacks and brown bodies in law enforcement. The volume printed quotations from police officers using n words to describe black Americans. Ironically, what makes this work so compelling is what makes it so disturbing, that is, Friedman's closeness to the police officer. The street police show how the relationship between New York and the police has changed but remained the same.
Jill Freedman Street Cops at Daniel Cooley Fine Art will last until October 30.
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