{"id":151794,"date":"2025-06-24T20:49:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T20:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/joel-meyerowitz-the-last-king-of-the-streets-of-new-york-i-know-i-am-facing-my-end-i-can-already-feel-the-presence-of-death\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T20:49:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T20:49:24","slug":"joel-meyerowitz-the-last-king-of-the-streets-of-new-york-i-know-i-am-facing-my-end-i-can-already-feel-the-presence-of-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/joel-meyerowitz-the-last-king-of-the-streets-of-new-york-i-know-i-am-facing-my-end-i-can-already-feel-the-presence-of-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Joel Meyerowitz, the last king of the streets of New York: “I know I am facing my end; I can already feel the presence of death.”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Joel Meyerowitz (New York, 1938) gracefully walks through the opulent lobby of the Rosewood Villa Magna in Madrid. Sporting a felt trilby hat and a black knit jacket, with a digital Leica camera slung over his shoulder, he greets the assembled crowd in almost a whisper. It feels as if he is a man out of time, surrounded by modern luxury yet oddly unaffected by it. This \u00a0iconic street photographer\u00a0 is encapsulated within four walls, but that doesn’t seem to bother him.<\/p>\n

He strides down the hallway and settles into a room with translucent walls. Placing his hat and camera on the table, he politely requests that the music volume be lowered to facilitate a fluid conversation, allowing him to hear better with his hearing aid. \u201cNow we can start,\u201d he states with calm authority. At 87 years old, this man represents living \u00a0history\u00a0 in the world of photography. \u00a0Many of the iconic images\u00a0 capturing the streets of New York during the 1960s and 70s belong to him, from his native Bronx to Lower Manhattan. He was there to document the tragedy of the \u00a0September 11 attacks\u00a0 in 2001, being one of the few professionals granted access to capture the events unfolding before him. Additionally, his collection of 200 photographs taken during an \u00a0extensive road trip\u00a0 through ten European countries in the 1960s will soon be on display.<\/p>\n

This collection, titled *Europe 1966-1967*, is currently featured at Madrid\u2019s \u00a0Centro Cultural de la Villa\u00a0 as part of \u00a0PHotoEspa\u00f1a 2025\u00a0, which has awarded Meyerowitz with a prestigious prize for his extensive career. During his European journey, he spent several months in \u00a0M\u00e1laga\u00a0, deeply embedded in local families and uncovering the lives of ordinary people during Franco\u2019s regime.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where I discovered myself as an artist. At just 28 years old, I began to understand my own temper.\u201d He explains his solitary existence during that time, where he shot \u00a0750 rolls of film\u00a0, half in color and half in black and white, without reviewing them for the entire year. \u201cSo in a way, I was working out of a kind of \u00a0trust\u00a0, and in that understanding, I learned who I was.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A photograph of M\u00e1laga in the 1960s<\/span>Joel Meyerowitz<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In those snapshots of \u00a0tablaos\u00a0 and cafes, community life is palpable; color begins to seep through, showcasing one of the American’s significant contributions to photographic history. Meyerowitz was among the pioneers of color photography when black and white was the dominant format. His vibrant colors serve as a nostalgic reminder of streets that today have altered in both character and appearance. \u201cThere is still life in the street, but attitudes have changed, just as clothing and values have,\u201d he observes. This rich life is now interrupted by human interaction with \u00a0virtual reality\u00a0.<\/p>\n

Sidewalks, once gathering places, have turned into mere transit spots. People now walk with their eyes glued to their phones, focused on news, photos, or social media. \u201cThe human exchanges that once filled the streets are now overshadowed by distractions. People only look up to check for oncoming cars and then return to their screens,\u201d Meyerowitz laments. He pauses to add, \u201cWith the internet, everyone wants to showcase their face, body, writings, or photographs in hopes of gaining followers and monetary rewards. When I started taking pictures, I wasn\u2019t seeking recognition. I was drawn to capture moments of beauty that would soon fade. Now, that quiet conversation with the street feels broken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meyerowitz recalls the first time he realized this disconnect in 1976 while working on an advertising campaign for a scientific magazine. In Colorado, an engineer warned him that one day, everyone would be connected instantaneously. \u201cIn 1976, Apple didn\u2019t even exist,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n

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Did this foresight signal a sociological shift in the streets?<\/dt>\n
There are multiple layers to it. If people don\u2019t engage with one another, we lose social unity. Instead of being open to conversation, we resort to Google for quick answers. This isolates us from genuine human connection. New York used to be a vibrant city, and now it feels like walking through an endless tunnel of advertising. Public exchanges have collapsed; we\u2019ve disconnected by fixating on our phones or the oversized images in store windows of scantily clad models.<\/dd>\n
Has this led to increased political control or oversight?<\/dt>\n
The less human capacity we have to determine our desires, the more control there will be. That’s why the U.S. is failing under Trump\u2019s leadership. People do not study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or ethics anymore. We were taught about responsibility as Americans in school. When that declines, dictators can rise to power. Trump has filled that void and is committing an affront to democracy. I fear for the future of the United States; it may be falling apart or on the brink of collapse. Ignorance is shaping our society.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

According to Meyerowitz, today\u2019s issues mirror those from five decades ago. While wars may have shifted in scope, racial segregation has resurged as a pressing social concern, particularly after Trump’s election. \u201cWe just have different players and different needs,\u201d he states, now residing in London, where he has also participated in protests against \u00a0Brexit\u00a0. Just as he did in New York during Trump\u2019s re-election campaign. The street remains a constant theme. \u201cMy wife and I protested not just to photograph; we wanted to be part of something bigger. \u00a0It\u2019s essential to risk involvement in historical moments. It\u2019s a delicate balance: you support a cause you believe in and might capture some photographs in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sixty years later and at 87 years old, photography continues to anchor his life. The Leica resting on the table still accompanies him daily whenever he steps out. Without exception. Looking ahead, he has plans for a new project unfolding. \u201cIt will be something entirely different, distorted, but I can\u2019t share any more because I have been instructed not to,\u201d he hints, revealing a glimmer of mystery. Additionally, his publisher desires that he develop a book featuring his unpublished photographs from the 1960s. \u201cIt\u2019s fascinating to revisit your work, but even more intriguing to observe the person you once were and the person you\u2019ve become.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Who is Joel Meyerowitz? How has he changed over the years?<\/dt>\n
I often reflect on whether I am the same person, just older, broader, and deeper. I think I engage in this reflection to see if I have been true to myself. All artists wrestle with whether to remain faithful to their essence or compromise for commercial success. I had a good friend who was a famous commercial photographer in New York, making a million dollars a year. I never made anywhere near that. One day, after his 50th, he called me upset because he was exhibiting at MoMA. I pointed out that he had sold out; he opted for commercial projects for financial gain.<\/dd>\n
Is it challenging to choose between prestige and that million dollars?<\/dt>\n
Right now, a million dollars would be nice, but life didn\u2019t unfold that way. From where I stand, I believe I have remained true to myself and have arrived where I wanted to be. Perhaps the truth lies within that.<\/dd>\n
Have you considered retirement?<\/dt>\n
I don’t think of retirement, but I recognize that the end is near. When you’re young, mortality seems distant and irrelevant. Yet, as I age, I feel its proximity, as if death is welcoming me. It’s inevitable. My wife and I discuss death frequently, not in a morbid way, but with acceptance. Everything around me appears magical because I know I might never see it again. I feel like I am absorbing all the joy in the world.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

Before he departs, Meyerowitz bids farewell with a hopeful \u201cI hope to see you again,\u201d and once more, he disappears into an ecosystem that doesn\u2019t fully belong to him, like a photograph that has yet to be captured.<\/p>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Joel Meyerowitz (New York, 1938) gracefully walks through the opulent lobby of the Rosewood Villa Magna in Madrid. Sporting a felt trilby hat and a black knit jacket, with a digital Leica camera slung over his shoulder, he greets the assembled crowd in almost a whisper. It feels as if he is a man out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":151795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[36714],"class_list":["post-151794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mazagine","tag-cultura"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}