Interview: Jonathan D. Greenwald
March 27th, 2007 by Menachem Wecker
Jonathan D. Greenwald is a photographer. See his site and his photoblog and his flickr page. The image is “A Man and A Bird” from Greenwald’s photoblog post for today, and I encourage everyone to spend a lot of time on his site looking through his other images.
According to his bio, Greenwald lives in Brooklyn and is an IT manager by day and “by night (or during lunch, weekdays, etc.), I’m a street photographer.” He calls himself “self-taught” and says he takes most of his photos in NY, though “you can often find me walking the streets of Toronto, Ontario while visiting my biggest supporter, critic, and wife, Lesley.” Greenwald spoke with Iconia over email, and please note that I have not posted this solely because he said he liked so many of my questions. Here is what he had to say (when I refer to images, they can all be found on his site):
MW: You mentioned “Even when photographing a religious edifice, it is not with the intent of making a religious statement. To make such a statement, means one must be consistent in their statement of risk being scrutinized for it.” Are there different processes that surface in shooting a religious edifice like Drumming Pagoda? Are there unique challenges because it is so charged?
JDG: I hold a Bachelors Degree in Architecture. In fact, I worked in the field for several years before making the leap to technology. Even after so many years, I am still passionate about architecture, especially when one thinks of a church, synagogue, or other religious edifice. For me, I try not to capture the essence of the structure, rather the obvious beauty in it’s construction. It just so happens that more often than not, the most beautiful structures are those with religious significance.
MW: Can you tell me a little about “Hot Seat”? How do you balance the importance of the message with the artistic elements? Did you ask the subject to take his picture?
JDG: Great question. When I look at this image, I see two things: a homeless man trying to stay warm and the same individual sitting in a very comfortable position on a New York City sidewalk. I passed this gentleman on the way to Bryant Park and the sidewalk was too crowded for me to take his photograph. I thought that if I were to walk back towards work and he is still there, I will try again at that time. It just so happened that he was sitting in the same position when I returned nearly 40 minutes later. Yes he is homeless, or at least that is the impression I got from the bags he was sitting on and his lack of interaction with people, but the way he was sitting on the sidewalk really caught my attention. He didn’t appear to have a worry in the world and, in fact, looked quite comfortable. As for permission, I did not ask that of him nor did I interact with him.
MW: What did you mean by the word transcending in “Transcending Cultures”? The wealth?
JDG: “Transcending Cultures” was not as much about the wealth of the subjects as it is about their attire. The two young women in this photograph are wearing traditional head scarves and Western style clothing. I really enjoy images like this because it sends the message that traditional values are important, but modern influences play a large role in defining an individual.
MW: When did you start photographing the homeless community? What led you to portray them? When you title the image “Post no Bills,” was that text more exciting to you than the man?
JDG: I started photographing the homeless community in the Summer of 2006. I am fascinated by this sub-culture and always wonder what kind of life they lived before they became homeless. A recent interview about my work was posted on a popular web site about photography and most of the critics were convinced I was exploiting the homeless through my photos; they went on to say my photographic style, specifically the lack of interaction with my subjects, was crude and dishonest. I took exception with many of the comments because I don’t feel anyone can say what is the right way and wrong way to portray someone. In fact, if you take a photo of someone in your own photographic style, the subjects themselves may disagree with your portrayal of them. Does that mean you take another to make them happy? Only if they are paying for the photograph. Anyway, I digress. I am really fascinated with the homeless community and my intent is to capture people in their proudest and worst moments. There is a story behind every photograph of a homeless person where the same can not be said of anyone else walking about a major city. I rarely ever see anyone interact with a homeless person unless it’s to walk away or shake their head when solicited for spare change. I also feel that most people would rather ignore the homeless situation and act as it never existed. My photographs change that perception by showing the world what does indeed exist.
The naming of my photographs is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I always try not to name a photograph something obvious (i.e. - Man with Beer Can); instead, I try to key into specific text or signage in the photograph to almost confuse the viewer. While someone is looking at the Post No Bills message, the bigger message smacks them right in the face.
MW: How did “God is my strength” come about? Is there a connection between the boxing scenes and the struggle to make it in the city without money or a home?
JDG: Another great question and unfortunately, the struggles of this individual great or small are not known to me. The humor of this message was the pride this kick boxer took in his appearance. His tassels, various tattoos, and head gear (removed prior to the bout) were all symbols of his strength and no greater symbol than the message tattooed on his chest. Clearly he was sending a message that his faith played an important role in his life, whether it be kickboxing specifically or beyond. I found the message humorous because of the speed at which he was knocked out. It was less than a minute and all I thought about at the time was, “I wonder if he prayed hard enough before the bout?”
MW: In what way is life imitating art in the image thus titled?
JDG: Easily explained. I took a photo of a homeless man while in the background, a couple was having their photos taken by a professional photographer in the background. While theirs was an artistic photograph, mine was the real world.
MW: I find “Above Religion” cute amusing. Do you see it as sacrilegious at all?
JDG: Another example of my images falling victim to amusing titles. I can clearly see how someone may interpret this image as big business being above religion, but that was not my intent. Simply put, my intent was to show a building that towered over a church not to portray supremacy, but our of necessity for more office space. I fear I am giving the impression my photos are amateurish in nature, when in fact, I enjoy finding scenes like this, thinking of witty titles, and letting the audience decipher the message in their minds. I can see how some may find this sacrilegious while other find the contrast of old vs. new refreshing. Either way, I hope it provokes some form of discussion.
MW: You seem to focus on tall buildings piercing the sky and people who are the lowest members of society. Both strike me as lonely and out of place. Do you see a connection between the two?
JDG: Great observation and I get that sense about NYC sometimes. I do see the same message in my photographs and, on many occasions, that is by design. NYC is not an easy place to live. I often wonder how many people are attracted to the tall buildings and bright lights of this wonderful city and start to believe they can make a life here. I also wonder how many of those same people find themselves on the streets of NYC. To me, there is a connection between the two. NYC as a whole appears to have no limits, but people tend to forget that what is true for the great skyscrapers of NYC is not necessarily true for people.
MW: Do you see your Jewish identity as a vital, visible component of your art?
JDG: To be perfectly honest, my Jewish identity is very important to me, but I do not consider it a vital, visible component of my art. I am almost certain that will change in time. I would love to do a project in Israel or, on a smaller scale, the Jewish neighborhoods of Toronto and NYC. Judaism and Photography are both fascinating aspects of my life and I still have a lot to learn about both.