In Depth: 19th and Catherine No. 1

Jeffrey Stockbridge, 19th and Catherine No. 1, 2008,
Archival Pigment Print

The DCCA's new (-ish, since I'm playing catch up today) exhibition, Philadelphia, features the urban photography of artist Jeffrey Stockbridge. Stockbridge's exhibition juxtaposes dilapidated architectural spaces in Philadelphia with their inhabitants.  Though Stockbridge strives to portray his subjects as survivors of economic circumstance rather than its victim, the  photos that have been selected for the DCCA's exhibition evoke a sense of disappointment and helplessness. Disenfranchised individuals stare into space dejectedly or into the viewers eyes with a spiteful challenge. Wallpaper curls and peals away from walls. Dust, dirt, and the detritus of drug and alcohol habits litter the floor. Each image is a harsh, poignant portrayal of poverty.

One of the most striking images is of a vacant room; one wall of which has been papered over with a picture of a tropical beach. Soft oranges and blues contrast with the darkened silhouette of a palm tree in the beach scene. In the picture, the sun is setting over a calm sea. The landscape seems to glow with warm, comforting light. The illusionistic light in the beach scene is in sharp contrast with the natural light that filters through a dirty window on the extreme right of the image. This harsher light picks up color in the decaying room: a blue closet, the warm beige of masking tape that has been used to cover a crack in the ceiling, the graying pink paint of a doorway. All of these colors also appear in the beach scene; it is this detail that makes 19th and Catherine No. 1 such a striking image.

The contrast between the lifestyle to which the inhabitant of this space seemed to aspire and the reality of the individual's daily life is heart-rending. Whoever lived in the space went to the trouble (and expense) of matching the color of the interior of their woefully small closet and their door frames to the colors in the beach scene. This initial attempt to bring cheer into a small, room fades in comparison to the demoralizing condition of the walls, windows, ceilings, and floors. Whoever lived there may have wanted the warmth and relaxation that comes from living in a tropical paradise. The daily realities of their life in this decaying and dirty room could not be further from that idyllic lifestyle.

Stockbridge's talent lies in composing poignant and powerful photographs from the simples of elements. Whether he photographs an empty room or an individual, the viewer can not help but feel overwhelmed by his work. His ability to find common ground between his subjects and his audience ( in this work for example, the common ground might be a longing for the tropics) while simultaneously evoking a distinct set of experiences is awe inspiring. 19th and Catherine No. 1 is no exception.

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"In Depth" is a series of posts dedicated to taking a closer look at (and maybe completely misinterpreting) individual pieces exhibited by the DCCA. If you would like to nominate a piece at the DCCA for an "In Depth" feature, feel free to write a comment and let me know!


"Philadelphia" is being exhibited in the Dupont II gallery at the DCCA. The Exhibition will run through May 8, 2011.