By Rafal Rogoza —
Fine art photography is a medium that shuns the strokes of a paint brush on canvas and instead aesthetically utilizes a camera to vividly convey expressions and emotions. Unlike commercial and photojournalism, fine art photography goes beyond just capturing a moment in time, it strives to convey an ambiguous stimulating message.
John Montalvo Jr., 35, Photography BFA and Psychology major from Bloomfield, audaciously attempts to grasp the faces of the Occupy Wall St. social movement through film photography.
During Monday’s opening reception of Montalvo’s show “99% to 1 Still Not Enough, Portrait of a Movement,” at New Jersey City University Visual Arts Gallery, dozens of black and white 18 in. x 24 in. photos lined the walls of the gallery.
The photos are displayed in thin black frames. None of the photos are titled, instead the only thing that sets them apart is the black and white subject matter. Each photo is an image of one or two people expressing various emotions and some holding signs that have become synonymous with the Occupy Wall St. movement such as “99% + 1% = 100%”.
One image in particular stands out from among the rest. An up close head shot of an older police officer. Wearing full New York Police Department (NYPD) regalia, the grey mustached officer gives a stern look directly into the camera. White hair is visible underneath his hat and just below the brim his brows are creased, giving him a slightly grim expression. He’s not menacing, but viewing the image one gets the feeling he is stressed. With so many pictures of the people that gathered in protest at Zuccotti Park, capturing an image of the authority that is there to control it is a rare perspective.
Another intriguing photograph is of a young woman holding both her hands up signaling peace. Wearing a sleeveless “I am the 99%” shirt with a dog tag and peace symbol hanging down her neck, she looks to the right and away from the camera into a breeze that ruffles her hair. Of all the photos that Montalvo displays in his show, this one in particular exudes emotion. The woman seems heartbroken and weary. She is suppressing a certain anger and is lost in dejected thought. Much like the fire of the Occupy movement that dwindled during late November, so has her spirit.
A viewer gets a glimpse of the faces that were there in downtown Manhattan late last fall, however, there is an instance where Montalvo’s work loses its message. A photo of a happy young adolescent boy that seems like it belongs on a hallmark card is on display in the far right corner of the gallery. The boy is smiling, facing the camera, wearing black pants and a zip up hoody. He stands in an akimbo position. He seems to be out of context to the Occupy movement. An observer has to raise questions about the boy. What is his reason for supporting the movement? Does he understand the social complexities that have sparked it? How did he get there?
Overall, Montalvo’s goal of “not allowing its [the Occupy movement] detractors to define the movement and its participants as lazy, jobless, liberal, swindling drug using criminals”, as according to his art statement, was a success. The faces featured in the show range in race, age, and lifestyle. The photos are not accompanied with any descriptions, a clever aspect of the show. Lack of description allows the viewer to develop an independent interpretation of the people featured in Montalvo’s work. There is no authority stamping political and social labels on the characters depicted in the photographs. The viewer does not look into a mob of protesters, but instead comes face to face with another human being.
Montalvo spent three days at Zuccotti Park just after the NYPD moved in to clear the park of the occupying protesters. He took roughly 150 photographs using a 4 x 5 large format camera.
“I want to portray them as beautiful people because they are beautiful people,” answered Montalvo, when asked why he decided to photograph the people involved in the movement.
“I wanted to document it..large. This is history in the making,” said Montalvo. “For me to do this project, I had to do something my heart is into.”
According to Montalvo, his work was inspired by photographers that documented social change. He cites the work of Danny Lyons, Lewis Hines, and Sebastian Salgado.
The show will be on display through May 11th, located at the NJCU Visual Arts Gallery, at 100 Culver Ave. Gallery hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment.
Montalvo will also be exhibiting his work at the MANA Contemporary Art Center in conjunction with works from NJCU MFA and BFA students on the 4th floor located at 888 Newark Avenue in Jersey City. For more information call 1-800-330-9659 or visit www.manafinearts.com.
For more on visit www.johnmontalvojr.com.
