Brotherly Lens:
September 6 – October 12,
Cover image: Ron Tarver, Legends (detail), 1993, Archival inkjet print, 17 x 26", $2,500
This page: Joseph V. Labolito, Newsstand at K&A1, 1987, Archival digital print from a high res scan of the original 4 x 5 negative, 15 x 19", $425
Brotherly Lens: A
Portrait of Philadelphia
Brotherly Lens: A Portrait of Philadelphia presents a nuanced exploration of the city through the eyes of three distinguished photographers: Eric T. Kunsman, Joseph V. Labolito, and Ron Tarver. Each artist offers a distinctive perspective, capturing the essence of Philadelphia, its hidden dimensions, and its ongoing transformation. Eric T. Kunsman intricately maps the city through its phone lines, revealing the stark contrasts between neighborhoods. His work prompts a critical examination of social divides and biases, encouraging reflection on the disparities that shape urban life. Joseph V. Labolito provides a historical and cultural portrait of Philadelphia, documenting the daily life of its neighborhoods over three decades. His images offer a rich narrative of the city's evolution, portraying its past and present with depth and sensitivity with a focus on Kensington. Ron Tarver’s work focuses on the lives of inner-city cowboys, highlighting their unique experience at the intersection of urban and rural life. Through his lens, Tarver brings to light the vibrant and complex realities of Black identities and stories within the city. Together, these photographers offer a comprehensive and introspective view of Philadelphia, inviting audiences to engage with the city’s diverse and dynamic landscape through their distinctive visions.
Opposite page (top to bottom): Joseph V. Labolito, New Frankford sign at the Margaret and Orthodox El Stop, 1982, Archival digital print from a high res scan of the original 4 x 5 negative, 14.25 x 17.5", $350
Joseph V. Labolito, The proprietor in front of Food Cart at Kensington Ave and Front St, 1987, Archival digital print from a high res scan of the original 4 x 5 negative, 14.25 x 17.5", $350
ERIC T. KUNSMAN
Eric T. Kunsman (b. 1975, Bethlehem, PA) is a distinguished photographer and of the steel industry and inspired by Walker Evans, Kunsman studied under University of the Arts, alongside multiple degrees from the Rochester Institute Institute for the Deaf and an adjunct professor in the School of Photographic art digital printing. His work, exhibited in over 35 solo and 150 group shows Photography (UK) Gold Award for Open Series in 2019. Kunsman’s current project and challenging local perceptions.
left to right:
Images,
Eric T. Kunsman, Unknown Number - Sunoco Gas Station, 601 West on edition etching rag), 40 x 40", $1,800
Eric T. Kunsman, Unknown Number Pulaski Hall, 1653 W Hunting Park Ave, Philadelphia, 20 x 20", $800
and book artist based in Rochester, New York. Influenced by the decline Lou Draper and earned an MFA in Book Arts/Printmaking from The Institute of Technology. As an Assistant Professor at RIT’s National Technical Photographic Arts & Sciences, he also runs Booksmart Studio, specializing in fine shows worldwide, has garnered notable awards, including the Association of project examines payphones in Rochester, uncovering hidden narratives
PA 19123,
West Girard Ave, Philadelphia,
2022, Archival pigment print (Lucia print
Philadelphia, PA 19140, 2024, Archival pigment print (Lucia print on edition etching rag),
Artist Statement
This body of work is a companion series to my project, “Felicific Calculus: Technology as a Social Marker of Race, Class, & Economics in Rochester, NY,” to demonstrate how communities throughout the United States are facing the same dire situation. Throughout the United States, many individuals are being left behind by technology, whether that is for communication or Internet access. Our society has become one in which you must have access to these tools to be provided support services and a job, or you are left behind, widening the gap between the lower and middle classes.
Often, this outdated technology is also used to label individuals or areas of a community where they can be found as social markers without further knowledge. The individuals I have met who still rely on payphones have stated, "I hate how people look at me like I am doing something wrong when I am using the payphone.” Those individuals have explained that they are typically calling their families to check in or for support.
Unlike my series in Rochester, I have decided to include individuals in the frame for this series because now I am including the story of the individuals in association with the payphones or simply the location.
My work aims to raise the following questions: how do we ensure access to basic needs for a sustainable community, such as communication, shelter, and food, without labeling those relying on support?
Why has the United Kingdom decided to save their iconic payphones, convert them to digital ones, and install other emergency necessities such as defibrillators in the red booths?
Once the payphones are gone, how will we communicate in a natural disaster similar to Hurricane Katrina & Sandy?
Eric T. Kunsman, Unknown Number - U-DO-It Laundromat, 2544 W Lehigh Ave Philadelphia, PA 19132-3832, 2023, Archival pigment print (Lucia print on edition etching rag), 40 x 40", $1,800
Opposite page, top to bottom:
Eric T. Kunsman, Unknown Number - 5429 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131, 2024, Archival pigment print (Lucia print on edition etching rag), 20 x 20", $800
Eric T. Kunsman, Unknown Number - Sunoco, 2750 Aramingo Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19134, 2023, Archival pigment print (Lucia print on edition etching rag), 20 x 20", $800
This page:
Eric T. Kunsman, Unknown Number - Conoco Gas Station, 4400 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 2022, Archival pigment print (Lucia print on edition etching rag), 20 x 20", $800
This page:
Eric T. Kunsman, Unknown Number - 4203 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19140, 2022, Archival pigment print (Lucia print on edition etching rag), 20 x 20", $800
Opposite page, top to bottom: Eric T. Kunsman, Unknown Number - Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia, PA, 2018, Archival pigment print (Lucia print on edition etching rag), 20 x 20", $800
Eric T. Kunsman, 215.854.9289 - Land Title Building, 1400 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (Working Payphone), 2024, Archival pigment print (Lucia print on edition etching rag), 20 x 20", $800
JOSEPH V. LABOLITO
Joseph V. Labolito was born and raised in the Frankford-Oxford Circle section studios while still in high school. Over time, his work expanded to include a design, and special effects.
For over four decades, Joe has been capturing the vibrant essence of the city neighborhoods, creating a deeply personal and authentic perspective. These inside out, inviting viewers worldwide to journey through time to celebrate the
His work is in numerous public and private collections, including the Special and the Free Library’s Print and Picture Collection, which houses nearly 1,300
section of Philadelphia. He began his photography career working with portrait variety of subjects such as still life, architecture, health care, athletics, set city of Philadelphia. His collection of photographs documents this city of These images are not just snapshots, they are a reflection of the city from the the progress and evolution of Philadelphia.
Special Collections Research Center in the Charles Library at Temple University 1,300 images.
Artist Statement
My images in Brotherly Lens are drawn from 3 portfolios originally commissioned by the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Print and Picture Dept. 1982 Frankford Elevated Train, 1987 McPhearson Square Kensington and 1987 Major Intersections on Kensington Ave. Kensington at that time was still a functioning “Blue Collar” neighborhood. It was showing signs of wear from the flight of its factories and manufacturing base moving to the south and overseas in the 60s and 70s but in the 1980s it was still neighborhood of row homes that families kept up, kids played outside, and Kensington Avenue was busy with shops and traffic. At the time I tried to show the resilience of the neighborhood and the families that lived in the neighborhood. My images in this exhibit are a sharp contrast to the toll the opioid epidemic has taken on not just Kensington but Philadelphia and the nation. Somewhere in all the media coverage and addiction porn on social media the families and the people that still live there are no longer seen.
Previous page:
Joseph V. Labolito, Shoppers on Kensington Avenue near Front St., 1987, Archival digital print from a high res scan of the original 4 x 5 negative, 10 x 13", $350
Opposite page:
Joseph V. Labolito, Looking west on Allegheny Ave at Kensington Ave., 1987, Archival digital print from a high res scan of the original 4 x 5 negative, 10 x 13", $350
This page:
Joseph V. Labolito, Two neighborhood kids in McPherson Square Park, 1987, Archival digital print from a high res scan of the original 4 x 5 negative, 14.25 x 17.5", $350
Joseph V. Labolito, Interior of the K&A El station, 1987, Archival digital print
print from a high res scan of the original 4 x 5 negative, 15 x 19", $425
Image, right: Joseph V. Labolito, Locals playing half ball and drinking beer in McPherson Square Park, 1987, Archival digital print from a high res scan of the original 4 x 5 negative, 10 x 13", $350
Image, left:
Joseph V. Labolito, The Frankford El near Kensington Ave at Front St., 1987, Archival digital print from a high res scan of the original 4 x 5 negative, 14.25 x 17.5", $350
RON TARVER
Ron Tarver received a BA in Journalism and Graphic Arts from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and an MFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He is an Associate Professor of Art at Swarthmore College. Before joining the faculty at Swarthmore, he had been a staff photojournalist at The Philadelphia Inquirer for 32 years, where he shares the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for his work on a series documenting school violence in the Philadelphia public school system. During his time at the Inquirer, he was nominated for three Pulitzers and honored with awards from World Press Photos, the Sigma Delta Chi Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Profession National Press Photographers Association/ University of Missouri Pictures of the Year, as well as other national, state, and local honors.
In addition to his newspaper publications, Tarver's work has appeared in National Geographic, Life, Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Ebony, Jet, Black and White Magazine, Huffington Post, and Hyperallergic. He is a co-author of the book We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans, published by Harper Collins in 2004, which was accompanied by a traveling exhibition that debuted at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Tarver has distinguished himself in the field of fine art photography. A recipient of Guggenheim and Pew Fellowships, he has also received grants and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and two Independence Foundation Fellowships.
He was named one of the Delaware Valley's "50 Rising Stars in the Arts" by Seven Arts Magazine and is a Fellow of the Center for Emerging Visual Artists. He is a former trustee of the TILT Center for the Contemporary Image and now serves on its advisory council.
Tarver's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in over 30 solo and 50 group exhibitions. It is included in many private, corporate, and museum collections, including the National Museum of American Art of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Studio Museum in Harlem, the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, Oklahoma History Center, and many other corporate and private collections. His work is represented by the Robin Rice Gallery in New York and Grand Image in Seattle.
Ron Tarver, The Basketball Game, 1993, Archival inkjet print, 17 x 26", $2,500
Artist Statement
From the concrete jungles of the Northeast to the endless skies of the great West, and all that lays in between, the cowboy spirit thrives. The Long Ride Home comprises of photos exploring the lives of Black cowboys - men, women, and children. These are the multifaceted narratives intentionally forgotten in the great American myth of the West. The portraits reaffirm this thriving culture of Black owned ranches, rodeo operations, parades, innercity cowboys, retired cowhands and young rodeo clowns. Few people are aware of the historical role that Black cowboys have played in the West, while still others question their authenticity. The image of the white male cowboy remains deeply ingrained in American culture, a vision rooted in segregation and antiimmigrant rhetoric.
Opposite page:
Tarver, South Philly Crossing, 1993, Archival inkjet print, 17 x 26", $2,500
This page:
Tarver, A Ride by Rows (detail), 1993, Archival inkjet print, 17 x 26", $2,500
Ron
Ron
Ron Tarver, Acme Parking Lot, 1993, Archival inkjet print, 26 x 17", $2,500
Ron Tarver, No Parking, 1993, Archival inkjet print, 26 x 17", $2,500
Image, right: Ron Tarver, Electric Horse, 1993, Archival inkjet print, 17 x 26", $2,500
Image, left: Ron Tarver, Dauphin Street, 1993, Archival inkjet print, 17 x 26", $2,500
InLiquid
InLiquid is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to creating opportunities and exposure for visual artists and works with more than 300 artists and designers. It serves as a free, online public hub for arts information in the Philadelphia area. Find out more at www.inliquid.org.
All rotational artworks are available for purchase. Inquiries for purchases can be directed to Isabella at isabella@inliquid.org.
Opposite page: Ron Tarver, Philly Trail Ride, 1993, Archival inkjet print, 26 x 17", $2,500
Back cover: Ron Tarver, Towers, 1993, Archival inkjet print, 26 x 17", $2,500
