Since the ‘60s, the use of Polaroid films has been a new frontier, an obvious and unavoidable instrument for immediacy.
New York Polaroids 1976—1989 is the first polaroid book by Swiss photographer and director Edo Bertoglio. A personal diary of the daily life of the New York downtown scene, with pictures of Arto Lindsay, Grace Jones, Maripol, Glenn O’Brien, Debbie Harry, Madonna, Andy Warhol and John Lurie, among others.
“Everything started between 5th and 34th Street, on a clear and cold afternoon, Maripol and I ran into one of those sudden strong gusts of wind that make you feel weirdly uncomfortable and estranged, kind of out of context.
“All of a sudden we hugged, with tears in our eyes, terrified by the metropolis, by our own loneliness and the lack of stable work. Attempting to overcome our own feelings, we walked right up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building where the warmth of the light eventually welcomed us and showed to us the very essence of the city, the clouds, and the skyscrapers, the river and the ocean. It was certainly clear that New York was the only place where we wanted to stay. That city was going to be the luminous background of my photographs.”— Edo Bertoglio
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| Blouson De Cuir, New York, 1979 |
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| Boy & Dominique, New York, 1979 |
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| Debbie outside a bar, New York, 1979 |
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| Modern sunglasses, New York, 1977 |
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| Smoking Grace, New York, 1986 |
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| Red Lacoste, Lugano, 1976 |
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| Pierre, Lugano, 1977 |
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| StripSexFuck, Lugano, 1976 |
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| Louise & Deby, New York, 1983 |
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| Trash bag bikini, New York, 1985 |
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| Hedy, New York, 1978 |
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| Andy's Big Shot, New York, 1978 |
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| Girls next door, New York, 1981 |
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| Bunny, New York, 1981 |
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| Kate, New York, 1977 |
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| Glenn & Kate, New York, 1977 |
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| Infinity Disco, New York, 1976 |
(Photos © Edo Bertoglio)
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