Central Park1995

Bruce Davidson's photographs of Central Park reveal a humane, democratic haven of breathtaking beauty and ecological secrets, as well as a site for wondrous adventures. Renowned as an intrepid explorer of the urban terrain, and a member of Magnum Photos, Bruce Davidson has challenged himself in a remarkable new way, taking on the visual and metaphorical scope of Central Park. This chronicler of the New York subway, the civil-rights movement, and of life in East Harlem finds himself - as suddenly and surprisingly as Alice in Wonderland (who appears in one of his more humorous photographs) - in his city's verdant oasis. Davidson's photographic approach to the park's wildlife - human and otherwise - varies as much in format (panoramic, 35mm., and square) as it does in emotional quality. Complemented by an essay by author, journalist, and translator Marie Winn, a preface by writer and Central Park Conservancy Director Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, and Davidson's own anecdotal reflections, Central Park provides an expansive view of this wonderfully intricate and varied space.