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Tinsquo's curatorial project, Adjacent To Life, The Crew by Dallas Starky.
The Crew is a showcase of people at Ninth Street Espresso. Lovingly lensed and printed by Dallas Starky, these photographs are a meditation on the human element at the helm of the espresso machine. The portraits are set on a neutral background, a far cry from the baristas’ quotidian context of the coffee shop, where they exist in motion. Here, they are captured in a moment of heightened drama, illuminated by cinema lights existing outside the frame. The lighting acts as a guide to draw attention to the subjects’ details: eyes, lips, cheeks, hair, tattoos, jewelry, clothing, and costume are on full display.
These photographs also act as a document for the future. The crew at Ninth Street is ever in flux - Starky aims to make permanent that which is fleeting, to archive this era of people working in service through the pandemic. In fifteen years, there will inevitably be a new mix of baristas and roasters; for now, here are fifteen portraits with which to sip a beverage and take the extra second to wonder, Who are they?
The Crew is on view through March 18 at the Adjacent to Life gallery housed in Ninth Street Espresso (341 E. 10th Street at Ave B, New York City).
Posted by Mark Roth at February 11, 2022 02:16 PM