Over the last ten years, Miska Draskoczy has documented the rapidly changing neighborhood of Gowanus, Brooklyn. His photography bookGowanus Wild is a “photographic exploration of nature and wilderness in the contaminated industrial neighborhood of Gowanus, Brooklyn.” The Gowanus Canal has been declared a federal Superfund site after more than 150 years of industrial abuse. Attempts to remove the pollution or dilute the canal’s water have failed, and at one point the canal was considered one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country. The images reveal the tenacity of nature when faced with decades of environmental destruction.
On June 10, explore the fascinating natural and architectural sites of Gowanus through the lens of local Brooklyn photographer Miska Draskoczy! Additionally, go behind the scenes and hear about the process of shooting glass plate and analog film photography, early techniques dating back to the 19th-century. Tickets are free but exclusively for Untapped New York Insiders. Become a member today starting at just $10/month! For a special Memorial Day offer, you can get your first month free with code JOINUS.
Draskoczy has captured the urban wilderness and environmental hot zones to the history of the neighborhood’s industrial buildings. Guests will get to see images from a variety of photography series by Draskoczy, including a project in which he uses the 19th-century technique of plate-glass photography to document the historic, at-risk industrial buildings of Gowanus. His urban wilderness series, Gowanus Wild, was published as a photobook in conjunction with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy and has been exhibited as a solo show at The Brooklyn Public Library and other galleries as well as in group shows such as THE FENCE at PHOTOVILLE. Attendees can receive a 20% discount to Unnatural Kingdom where you will find his prints and books.
Courtesy of Miska Draskoczy
At the webinar, Draskoczy will be showcasing his photographs of off-beat architecture and unusual pockets of nature in Gowanus. Among some of his plate-glass photography are images of the Old American Car Factory built in 1884, Gowanus Station, built in 1925 as a pumping station for the Gowanus Canal, and the Carroll Street Bridge from 1889.
Courtesy of Miska Draskoczy
Draskoczy showcases some members of the Gowanus community including Stephen Antonson, a plaster artisan who manufactures chandeliers, sconces, lamps, and the like. The artistry of Antonson’s creations contrasts with the mounds of recycled materials in another of his photographs. Manufacturing is further shown in his photographs of marble, onyx, granite, and terrazzo factories.
Courtesy of Miska Draskoczy
The industrial side of his photographs compliments his scenes from nature, such as one of a sunflower growing out of the littered ground and one of a wild egret that juts out behind a green plant. In another, a wooden post from the pier is tinted red, while the dark sky has a turquoise hue. The infrastructure and nature coalesce in some of his other photos, in which the calm water and grasses appear in the foreground while rubble and a manufacturing plant sit in the background.
Courtesy of Miska Draskoczy
His photographs have been featured in the press by The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Time Out, Hyperallergic, Brooklyn Magazine and many others as well as collected by institutions such as the Brooklyn Public Library, MoMA Library, Tufts University, and the Fitchburg Art Museum.
Courtesy of Miska Draskoczy
Discover the natural environment, colorful characters, and unique industrial architecture of Gowanus, Brooklyn through stunning photographs by Miska Draskoczy on this virtual tour. As an eager explorer of New York City, he will also share unseen images from some of his ongoing long-term projects.
