Overview

Wonderland. Brooklyn 2007-2023 offers an intimate portrait of the borough at a pivotal moment, when new and old began to collide and coexist. Through native Brooklynite Valery Rizzo's lens and the vibrant, distinctive aesthetics of toy cameras and medium-format film, the series preserves the area's bold and rebellious spirit as it undergoes change. Founded in 1634 by Dutch settlers and named after the town of Breukelen near Utrecht, Brooklyn began as a small settlement across the East River from New Amsterdam. It grew into the largest town in Kings County and eventually became an independent city: standing on its own until its incorporation into New York City in 1898. Since the 1990s, the borough has experienced rapid gentrification, reshaping its character and demographics. Between 2007 and 2023, Valery Rizzo documented its residents, encapsulating the neighborhood's vibrant spirit and everchanging identity as it shifted in shape, colour, and energy. Capturing moments of everyday life through a viewfinder few would take seriously, Rizzo uses an unconventional lens to get close to her subjects, offering an almost voyeuristic perspective. The images feel intimate and familiar, like snapshots taken by a family member, revealing private gestures and fleeting moments with warmth and immediacy. From the essay Portent of a Moment by Colin Spoelman: There are thematic recurrences: of bodies and flesh exposed in the midst of self-expression; of a green carpet of nature encroaching on lifeless, graffitied surfaces; of looking in on a timeless ritual, peeking in from a pinhole view as an undetected spy, the vignetting of the image reinforcing the mystery and portent of a moment. From the foreword by Claudio Edinger: The resulting collection of images is an instant classic. A microcosmic Brooklyn that mirrors amazing, unique aspects of American life, present in different measure in most major urban centers in the United States. Inspired by photography greats such as Bruce Davidson, Mary Ellen Mark, Sally Mann, and Sebastiao Salgado, Rizzo embraces their commitment to long-term projects and deep, sustained engagement with a subject. Over sixteen years, she devoted herself to documenting her hometown and its vibrant, ever-evolving community.

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9783969002155

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Valery Rizzo is a Brooklyn-based photographer. Her work has been exhibited worldwide, including at the Museum of the City of New York, Photoville, and the Powerhouse Arena. She was a finalist in the 2021 Urban Book Awards and the Urban Photo Awards in Trieste, Italy.

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