The photograph titled “New York” by artist Lee Friedlander was created in the year 1963. This image reflects Friedlander’s style that often involves urban scenes and complex compositions.
The photograph depicts an urban scene, framed by a chain-link fence that occupies the majority of the composition. Through the links of the fence, we can see a street setting with a parked car. The scene appears to be a deserted urban area, possibly a backstreet or industrial zone. The texture of the fence is sharply focused, contrasting with the blurred details of the scene behind it. The words “RESERVED FOR” are visible on a sign partially obscured by the fence, suggesting a restricted area or reserved parking. The overall effect is one of separation, with the viewer positioned as an outsider gazing into this fragment of the urban environment. The choice of black and white film accentuates the patterns, textures, and plays with light and shadow, typical of Friedlander’s work during that period.