ARTIST STATEMENT

A Glowing Candid of a New York City “Original”

From his perch on Prince Street and Broadway, Jean-Andre Antoine captures fleeting moments of everyday New Yorkers using long-discontinued instant film on a 1947 Crown Graphic camera. His subjects often keep their portraits, but the Harlem-born photographer occasionally holds onto polaroids with a powerful essence—here, he says, the bright red durag made the portrait pop.

“Street of Rouge” (2021) by Jean-Andre Antoine. Photography by Jean-Andre Antoine, courtesy of Fotografiska

Here, we ask an artist to frame the essential details behind one of their latest works.

Bio: Jean-Andre Antoine, 40, New York (@jaaphotos)

Title of work: Street of Rouge (2021).

Where to see it: “From Prince St. With Love” at Fotografiska (281 Park Ave South, New York) until Sept 29.

Three words to describe it: Glowing, love, strength.

Jean-Andre Antoine. Photography by Chris Cook (@visually_conscious)

What was on your mind at the time: His red durag seemed to glow as he walked down the block towards me, so I was captivated by that visual experience. 

An interesting feature that’s not immediately noticeable: The soft but powerful essence in the eyes. 

How it reflects your practice as a whole: Being able to observe a special feature that will make a portrait pop. It’s often something overlooked or seemingly mundane to the person, but I see it as part of the magic. 

One song that captures its essence: “Quiet Storm” by Mobb Deep.

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