Culture

On display: Joel Sternfeld

photography teacher opens gallery in the city

by Bethany Altschwager

Thursday September 29, 2005

Joel Sternfeld, one of New York and Sarah Lawrence’s own, opened his anticipated show Sweet Earth: Experimental Utopias in America show at the Luhring Augustine gallery in Chelsea.

Sternfeld’s exhibition showcases 30 of the 62 color photographs to be included in his new book of the same title. His body of work chronicles people living in eco-friendly communities of various types, documenting the American landscape and its diverse inhabitants. Experimental Utopias builds on his previous book entitled American Prospects.

He further documents his subjects by including the goals and accomplishments of the groups he photographs. Transfer Paige Rentz noted, "the subjects are so interesting, that the background information could only enhance the photo."

This was particularly true of the photograph entitled "Rabbi Chaim Adelman at Eretz Hachaim." The photograph shows what Sternfeld describes as "an ultra-Orthodox" Jewish rabbi dressed in black, standing in the shade of a large tree with brilliant orange foliage. Visually, the image is engaging due in part to the dramatic orange/black contrast, however it is the description that makes the image particularly interesting. The rabbi belongs to an organic farming community, which, in the Biblical tradition, leaves the corners of its fields open to charity.

Another interesting visual contrast is seen in the piece "Garden Roof.”

This photograph juxtaposes a roof top garden in Chicago with the metal and glass buildings that loom above it. The clash between the natural and the man-made is particularly striking in the light that Sternfeld presents it in.

The practical implication of a garden in this venue is to relieve the "urban heat-island effect" a problem that arises from the absorption and re-radiation of heat on rooftops in the summertime. The layer of vegetation helps to absorb the heat and filter the air.

Sweet Earth: Experimental Utopias in America will be on display at the Luhring Augustine Gallery (531 West and 24th St.) through Oct. 22. The gallery is located between 10th and 11th Avenue, just one block uptown from the 23rd street and 8th Avenue C/E line stop.