Reciprocity Failure

“Since then I have devoted everything I have to my art, this gift, this thing that is the reason I am alive. Shit, I was supposed to die that night.” -Will Steacy discussing the night he was gagged, tied, and held captive in the basement at a shoe store he was working at while a man pressed a gun to his forehead.

Will Steacy’s series Down These Mean Streets features photographs in an around Philadelphia, and castes light on aspects of urban life that normally don’t see the light of day.  Steacy’s work, shot in large format, depicts grungy and gruesome content in bright and inviting light.  The ensuing contradiction between presentation and content causes us to look at these people and places in a different light.  We look at the filthy, grimy, and depraved “Mean Streets” more open minded, and more willing to accept the humanity that lies within the photographs.

At times however the work shows us the dangerous aspect of urban living for what it is.  The pornography theaters, racist graffiti, and broken homes all take their toll on the audience, blow after blow.  One really has to question the sort of photographer it takes to go into these situations with a large format camera.  Large format is a slow and methodical tool that allows the photographer to analyze their content more in depth then small camera due to the fact working with it requires much more time in between frames.  It’s not the sort of tool one would expect to bring to these situations.  Photographer’s work in the same vein such as Boogy, opt for 35mm small camera.

This sort of methodical approach is evident in the work, as the moments photographed give us much more in depth content to explore. Nestled in between images of hate and violence we find pictures such as the image of the storefront of a jewelry store. The warm soft glow of the light within the shop alongside the brightly lit letters saying “OPEN”, “GOLD” draws us in, however the image speaks of society’s desires for that which doesn’t matter. Steacy presents issues that no gold necklace or diamond ring will resolve.