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Neal Slavin

A 40 Year Chronicle of Groups and Gatherings

November 10 – December 30, 2016

Neal Slavin Inter-Faith Gathering of Religious Leaders, NYC, 2015

THE PRAYER PROJECT: Inter-Faith Gathering of Religious Leaders, NYC, 2015

Neal Slavin Pentecostal Storefront Church, Brooklyn, NY

THE PRAYER PROJECT: Pentecostal Storefront Church, Brooklyn, NY

Neal Slavin Voodoo Service, Canarsie, Brooklyn, NY

THE PRAYER PROJECT: Voodoo Service, Canarsie, Brooklyn, NY

Neal Slavin Meditation on Death, Brooklyn, NY

THE PRAYER PROJECT: Meditation on Death, Brooklyn, NY

Neal Slavin Buddhist Temple, NYC

THE PRAYER PROJECT: Buddhist Temple, NYC

Neal Slavin Hindu Temple, Brooklyn, NY

THE PRAYER PROJECT: Hindu Temple, Brooklyn, NY, 2016

Neal Slavin Muslim Women Bowing, NYC, 2014

THE PRAYER PROJECT: Muslim Women Bowing, NYC, 2014

Neal Slavin Hare Krishnas

THE PRAYER PROJECT: Hari Krishnas, NYC, 2015

Neal Slaven Staten Island Ferry

Staten Island Ferry, 1973

Neal Slavin Chabad Rebbe, 2011

THE PRAYER PROJECT: Chabad Rebbe, Brooklyn, NY, 2011

NEal Slavin The Troc Burlesque Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, 1973

The Troc Burlesque Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, 1973

Neal Slavin Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner Convention, 1974

Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner Convention, NYC, 1974
 

Neal Slavin Sabrett Hot Dogs 1974

Sabrett Hot Dog Vendors, NYC, 1974

Neal Slavin New York City Transit Authority, Coney Island

New York City Transit Authority, Coney Island, Station, Brooklyn, NY, 1974

Neal Slaven Staff of the New York Public Library, Main Reading Room, NYC, 1974

Staff of the New York Public Library, Main Reading Room, NYC, 1974

Neal Slavin

Capital Wrestling Corporation, Washington DC, 1974

Neal Slavin Grand Canyon National Park, National Park Service, Grand Canyon, AZ

Grand Canyon National Park, National Park Service, Grand Canyon, AZ, 1974

Neal Slavin Cemetary Workers & Greens Attendants, Ridgewood, NY, 1974

Cemetary Workers & Greens Attendants, Ridgewood, NY, 1974

Neal Slavin Staff of the Statue of Liberty, 1974

Staff of the Statue of Liberty, 1974

Neal Slavin Taff Merthyr Colliery, Treharris, South Wales, UK, 1983

Taff Merthyr Colliery, Treharris, South Wales, UK, 1983

Neal Slavin Black Dyke Mills Brass Band, Bradford, Yorkshire, 1983

Black Dyke Mills Brass Band, Bradford, Yorkshire, 1983

Neal Slavin Smithfield Meatpackers 1984

The Hope Pub; Smithfield Meatpackers, London, 1983

Neal Slavin Custodial Staff, Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK

Custodial Staff, Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK, 1984

Neal Slavin Rescue Team

Rescue Team, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, 1984

Neal Slavin

Painters of the Forth Rail Bridge, Firth of Forth, Scotland, 1984

Neal Slavin Life Models

Life Models, Bath Art School, Bath, UK, 1984

Neal Slavin Elephant Keepers with Katie & Kumara, Whipsnade Park Zoo, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, UK, 1984

Elephant Keepers with Katie & Kumara, Whipsnade Park Zoo, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, UK, 1984

NEal Slavin New York Stock Exchange, NYC 2015

New York Stock Exchange, NYC, 1986

Neal Slavin American Red Cross Demonstrating Artificial Respiration, Washington, DC, 1987

American Red Cross Demonstrating Artificial Respiration, Washington, DC, 1987

Neal Slavin Transit Car #1540, Silver Springs, MD, 1987

Transit Car #1540, Silver Springs, MD, 1987

Neal Slavin Aircraft Restoration Technicians inside the Enola Gay, Suitland, MD, 1987

Aircraft Restoration Technicians inside the Enola Gay, Suitland, MD, 1987

Neal Slavin Elizabeth Arden Masseuses, Washington, DC, 1987

Elizabeth Arden Masseuses, Washington, DC, 1987

Neal Slavin Santa Clauses 1986

Bingo & Buddies, Santa Clauses, Silver Springs, MD, 1986

Neal Slavin Performers at the Hangar Club, Camp Springs, MD 1987

Performers at the Hangar Club, Camp Springs, MD 1987

Neal Slaven Hazardous Materials Response Team, Fairfax, VA, 1988

Hazardous Materials Response Team, Fairfax, VA, 1988

Neal Slavin Union Station and Restoration Crew, Washington DC, 1988

Union Station and Restoration Crew, Washington DC, 1988

NEal Slavin Editorial Staff of the New York Times Magazine, New York City, c. 2011

Editorial Staff of the New York Times Magazine, New York City, c. 2011

Press Release

Since 1972 Neal Slavin has been documenting groups and gatherings. From bingo players to ballroom dancers to religious congregations Slavin has photographed seemingly every imaginable organization that human beings have dreamed up. While the pictures themselves are most often posed Slavin has always asked that his subjects arrange themselves in front of the camera, allowing natural hierarchies, group dynamics, and indications of status to emerge. Through these pictures Slavin has sought to capture the inner character of these groups of people much as a portrait photographer seeks to capture the essence of an individual.

Slavin is currently working on THE PRAYER PROJECT, a book and film which embraces the gatherings of many different religious groups - a timely series in our present era of growing intolerance. In discussing his motivations, Slavin wrote:  "I want my work to affirm our self identity within our public persona; to affirm the joy of being together rather than being apart. My intention is to intensely glimpse that kind of human spirit through the lens of my camera.”  

Neal Slavin is both a still photographer and film director. His photographic books include PORTUGAL, WHEN TWO OR MORE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER, and BRITONS. In addition Slavin is a film director whose credits include FOCUS; written by Arthur Miller, which stars William H. Macy and Laura Dern.

His photographs are both privately and publicly collected. They are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Centre Pompidou, the International Center of Photography (ICP), the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of American Art , the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, and the John Paul Getty Museum.

Slavin has been the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship in addition to receiving two CAPS grants and a National Endowment in the Arts grant. His teaching credentials include classes and workshops at Les Recontres d’Arles in Provence, The Cooper Union, Manhattanville College, The School of Visual Arts, The City University of New York at Queens College as well as serving as a visiting artist at the Art Institute of Chicago. He is currently teaching a special combined class for Pace University and the International Center of Photography at his studio in New York City where he also gives private workshops.