Photographer: James Hanlon
James Hanlon is a native New Yorker living where water meets sand along the shoreline of New York Harbor. He is a proud graduate of Pratt Institute. In 2008 he was a contributing photographer to the "The Brooklyn Museum 2008 Spring Video" - a promotional piece by videographer Matt Wolf. Video In 2009 his work "Home Alone" was included in the "HUGEunHUGE" exhibition in the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Several of his pieces were seen in group exhibitions in 2010 & 2011. His first book of photography & prose titled Open House was published in 2011. His second book titled "Botanical Squared" was published in December of 2011. Both books are available at blurb.com. Open House
Artist's Statement
One of my favorite pastimes as a child involved the use of paper and a No.2 lead pencil with a functional eraser nub. The pictures I drew were kinetic and in a constant state of flux because they told stories. The drawings changed as my storylines developed and I became lost within a blissful state of imagination.
As an adult, I approach photography in much the same manner with the use of layers upon layers of photographic manipulation to tell stories that at times lie precariously on the fragile border between reality and dreams.--------------------
That is what I have tried to convey in the 2010 image "Stonewall Nation (Out of the Shadows)". This image speaks of the dynamic energy of history as it explodes and changes all that follows. At the Stonewall Inn in 1969 Gay men stood up to the oppression that had colored their lives and the lives that preceeded theirs. In one defining moment they collectively said "No" and the Gay Revolution was born.
The brilliant rainbow colors represent the modern day movement as it moves from out of the shadows into a bright blue light. The shadowed birds that take flight from the shadows of a bare tree represent the Gay Activists who paved the way for future homosexual generations to move forward from the landscape of oppression into the warm glow of a palpable liberation. This photo is dedicated to Madeline D. Davis, a pioneer in the Gay liberation movement and in music, whose song "Stonewall Nation" has served as a source of strength, inspiration & pride for over 40 years.
You can hear Ms. Davis sing "Stonewall Nation" here:
Queer Music Heritage US.
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"Richard's Story (One Year Later)": In July of 2010 Richard Vieira was physically attacked by a group of approximately 40 people who left him semiconscious and bleeding in a White Castle parking lot. He was clearly targeted for being Gay. This photo was taken in May of 2011. Almost one year after the attack, Richard still experiences ataxia, persistent vertigo and PTSD flashbacks. Richard has a story to tell. A story that is similar to too many others. It is an oral history to foster discussion and to broaden an awareness of hate crimes.
To learn more about Richard and Gay Bias Crimes please refer to The Gothamist article "Alleged Gay Bashing At Staten Island White Castle" by John Del Signore and The Gotham Gazette article "Behind the Hate Crimes on Staten Island" by Andy Humm. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos from the 2011 exhibition:
Photos from the 2010 exhibition:
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