PARIS – NEW YORK – BERLIN – Street Photography 1978-2010

The photo-book Paris - New York - Berlin - in collaboration with the art historian Michael Nungesser - is a résumé of more than 30 years of street photography by the Berlin photographer Joerg Rubbert. The focus therewith is laid on a social and critical view on the daily life of people and their specific situations as well as the situation of society in the three metropoles: Paris, New York and Berlin.

In all these locations Joerg Rubbert especially revealed the characters and faces behind the cities. They are setting the scene for events and political movements of that times: Certain chapters deal with the impact of the Berlin Wall and the ongoing transition process after the German reunification. Other chapters deal with the social hot-spots in Paris or daily life in New York in the era of David Dinkins, the first Afro-American mayor in a grand US-city.

Due to the fact that Joerg Rubbert has lived and worked in all of these places for a longer period of time, he could span an interesting comparison between the three cities. In Paris as well as in New York he documented the protest movements of the late eighties, i.e. in Paris the demonstrations of the Arab immigrants protesting against the head-scarf ban within public areas; or in New York, where he covered the ticker-tape-parade in honor of Nelson Mandela, the symbol for freedom and equal rights for every Afro-American. On Labor Day he documented the annual celebrations with the obligatory march of the trade unions. In Paris and Berlin he followed the changing rhythm of the two European metropoles at night.

The result is a very authentic photographic characterization of the three unique cities and their inhabitants, which - despite their cultural differences - show many obvious parallels.

With 176 black and white photographs.

Further Information

Author Jörg Rubbert