Nightlife NYC, 1977-2023 & 70s Suburban Sensibilities-Family and Friends
Millions Mourn Presley, NY, NY, 1977
Meryl Meisler, an American-Jewish photographer, opens the month with her first two solo museum exhibitions with never before seen works. The exhibitions take place in two galleries in the Zillman Art Museum (ZAM) in Bangor, Maine, and are curated by George Kinghorn, the Executive Director and Curator at ZAM.
The highlight of the exhibitions is the show Nightlife NYC, 1977-2023: Meryl Meisler, which showcases almost 50 photographs and will be open between May 19 and September 2. Meryl captures the club scene of Manhattan in the 70s with burlesque performance acts, drag queens, and celebrities having the best time of their life.
The second show, 70s Suburban Sensibilities-Family, and Friends: Meryl Meisler, includes 11 works and will be available from May 19 to August 19. The show features Meisler’s family and friends in their immediate surroundings, home, shops, and hair salons, in a humorous manner unique to Meisler. In one of the images, we see a Christmas tree and a Jewish Hanukkah menorah, the two religions, side by side, emerge as symbols of the author’s childhood and coming of age.
In this interview, we speak with George Kinghorn about his meeting with Meryl and the decision to curate two shows focusing on the themes of NYC’s nightlife, the diversity of people captured in the night clubs and Meryl’s depiction of her suburban family in her hometown of Massapequa. We discuss with Meryl the process of working with George on solo exhibitions. Meryl depicts how she used to photograph her family, allowing them to act naturally, waiting for the right moment to create her beautiful images with a touch of humor and love. “A stranger's home or nightclub can be equally mysterious, fascinating, or frightening. Welcome the stranger. The experience might open your heart and mind while having a good time.” — Meryl observes the similarity of the nightlife of the 70s and the generations coming after and before as an extension of the narrative, characters, and behaviors.
Get Your Copy Strand Books
Smoking Hoses, Les Mouches NY, NY, 1978
‘The energy of the party-goers in the recent 2022-23 images is not unlike the colorful characters and environments depicted in Meisler's 1970s works. In the 45 works featured in Nightlife NYC, Meisler portrays different ethnicities, races, gender identities that join together in spaces filled with dance, fashion, and spectacle.’
— George Kinghorn
Image Curation Process
Hi George, nice to have you in the magazine! As Director and Curator of the Zillman Art Museum, who shifted the strategy and focus of the museum and the exhibitions presented, what drove you to decide to curate Meryl Meisler’s work and focus on the two main themes for the exhibitions that are live now?
The Zillman Art Museum focuses solely on exhibiting a diverse array of contemporary art exhibitions, so the Meisler exhibitions beautifully align with ZAM's mission.
When I encountered a few of Meryl Meisler's images of NYC's nightlife venues, I knew immediately that I needed to arrange a visit and see more of these images. Not long after our meeting, we began to develop a large-scale exhibition featuring works from the late 1970s that would share space with images of the colorful nightclub scene in Brooklyn, NYC. In fact, the energy of the party-goers in the recent 2022-23 images is not unlike the colorful characters and environments depicted in Meisler's 1970s works. In the 45 works featured in Nightlife NYC, Meisler portrays different ethnicities, races, gender identities that join together in spaces filled with dance, fashion, and spectacle.
There were two bodies of Meisler's works that I was most interested in pursuing for solo exhibitions. The images of NYC's nightlife scene had great potential for an exhibition as there was a considerable quantity of outstanding images to bring together. In addition, I was drawn to another series: Meisler's images of family and friends. There is so much humor in these photographs, and Meisler has skillfully captured her suburban family in Massapequa.
Coli, Playmate Hostess, NY, NY, 1978
‘I marked this significant mile-marker in my life and career by donning my mother's diamond wedding band for the reception and will wear it from now on. The ring reminds me that I am an artist fortunate to have a solo museum exhibition in my lifetime.’
— Meryl Meisler
Exit Door, Copacabana, NY, NY, , 1977
The Exhibitions
Hi Meryl, we’re so happy to have you in the magazine again to discuss your two new solo museum exhibitions curated by George Kinghorn. What was the process like working with George, selecting the images from archives, and creating the narrative to present in the Zillman Art Museum?
July 26, 2022: I received an unexpected email introduction from my gallery CLAMP to George Kinghorn. “He is interested in your photography and would like the opportunity to make your acquaintance and learn more.” As a result, George and I scheduled a follow-up Zoom meeting in early August. In preparation for the Zoom meeting, George printed several dozen images of my work and asked many questions about them. By the end of the session, he indicated an interest in showing my work but wanted to come from Bangor to NYC to see actual prints in person. George told me he wanted to see more than less, so I dug deep into my boxes to organize vintage and contemporary photographs from several decades and bodies of work in preparation for our meeting.
August 30, 2023: We met at CLAMP and spent hours together looking and talking, took a break for lunch, and continued through the afternoon. George took phone photos of a lot of prints. I gave him copies of all my books to take back with him. We continued to communicate via email and phone calls from September through December. George sent me JPGs of photos he definitely wanted to exhibit. As he started focusing on two themes, Nightlife and Family, I scanned more negatives to send him. I love being curated and knew George understood my work from a historical, cultural, sociological, and gut-intuitive response aided by decades of curating art museum exhibitions.
January 5, 2023: George returned to NYC. This time he came to my apartment. George brought floor plans and pictures of the museum galleries. I had found some more boxes of prints and contact sheets. Again, we spent hours together — talking, looking, deciding, and laughing. I was thrilled that he was interested in many of my recent nightlife photos and picked images on vintage contact sheets that I had never shown anyone. He had decided to curate two separate shows of my work; my first-ever solo museum exhibit was now becoming two exhibits. Inspired by the decision to have the nightlife show include work from the ‘70s and the present day, I went to some clubs in January 2023 to photograph specifically for the show. Once George made his final curatorial choices, I had to stop clubbing. I needed to focus full time in my darkroom, producing over 40 new gelatin silver print editions for the exhibit. All the work had to be shipped by the end of March. From the start, George said this would be a collaborative process, and it certainly was. I liked that George would pick up the phone and call when he had a question. Exhibition titles, image choices for postcards, brochures, and text for press releases were decided collaboratively between George and me, with welcome input from his fantastic colleagues.
May 18, 2023: I gasped as George led me on a one-to-one walk-through preview of NIGHTLIFE NYC 1977-2023 and ’70s Suburban Sensibilities: Family and Friends. The opening reception was pure joy. To sum it up, working with George Kinghorn on these first-ever solo museum exhibitions of my work was above and beyond any hopes or expectations. Each step in the process was 'museum quality' and down to earth. I marked this significant mile-marker in my life and career by donning my mother's diamond wedding band for the reception and will wear it from now on. The ring reminds me that I am an artist fortunate to have a solo museum exhibition in my lifetime.
White Outfit and Fur, Georgios, NY, NY, 1977
Self-Portrait, Playmate Hostess, NY, NY, 1978
‘Humor is part of my heritage. It's in my DNA. Like many victims of centuries of bigotry and oppression, the Jewish people might have developed a strong sense of humor as a survival mechanism.’
Self Portrait, My Childhood Bedroom Mirror, N. Massapequa, NY, 1976
Mom Getting her hair Teased, N. Massapequa, NY, 1976
70s Suburban Sensibilities-Family and Friends: Meryl Meisler
Looking at the images from 70s Suburban Sensibilities-Family and Friends, there’s so much humor present that is delicate and unique, depicting people close to you. What was your approach to blurring this line between documentary and staged photography working with characters you chose to portray? What were some of the central themes you were researching that sparked your curiosity?
Humor is part of my heritage. It's in my DNA. Like many victims of centuries of bigotry and oppression, the Jewish people might have developed a strong sense of humor as a survival mechanism. My parents and their 'Mystery Club' friends were very funny and adventurous. The playful photographs of Jacques Henri Lartigue's early 1900 Parisian family goofing around in their outfits and my dad Jack Meisler's photos of significant family occasions inspired me to photograph my family, friends, and neighbors I knew, loved, played, and laughed with.
I spent many childhood years in dancing school, tap, and ballet recitals, so I went up in the attic to get some costumes from my childhood performances, Girl Scout uniform, prom dresses, etcetera, for early self-portraits. My friends and neighbors chose what they wanted to wear. My lifelong love of musical theater influenced all the interior portraits. Imagine the subjects center stage, about to belt out a Broadway tune.
Sometimes, I'd set up crude lights to supplement the direct camera flash, use the room décor as a backdrop, and capture the moment as it played out. I didn't ask anyone to pose a certain way; they chose their actions. I laughingly told my close friends, AKA 'subjects,' I was doing a series of Jewish American Princesses and their families (although not everyone in the photos is Jewish). In 1978, when my portfolio of Suburban family and friends helped me become the recipient of a CETA (Comprehensive Employment Training Act) grant to work as a photographer for the American Jewish Congress documenting Jewish New York, the intention became more defined.
Menorah and Christmas Tree, Sunrise, Florida, 1978
Aldo Making Muscles, NY, NY, 1979
‘I think it is not a matter of age, but lack of experience makes us perceive someone or something being 'the other' or different. If a person has never been to a nightclub, drag, or burlesque show or socialized with people of diverse backgrounds, nationalities, ethnicities, gender, or sexual identities, it could seem otherworldly.’
Nightlife NYC, 1977-2023: Meryl Meisler
Nightlife NYC, 1977-2023, presents in contrast to the quiet, warm family life with its celebrations and rituals, a wild, extravagant life-loving people in clubs of NY. The atmosphere is unique in the powerful, easy-to-remember characters the viewer encounters and the connection to the outside world and events as the image of a man shaving and reading a newspaper with the title: “Millions Mourn Presley.” Yet, what are the nuances or elements the younger viewer might not fully grasp or feel due to the lack of experience of this nightlife?
Hairstyles, fashion, interior design, technology, and fads change, but human communities, connections, customs, and traditions continue and evolve from generation to generation. Nightlife now is an extension of nightlife from decades ago. While living and experiencing 1970s nightlife, I knew it was probably like the 1930s Paris documented by Brassaï. The nightlife photos I'm taking now resemble those of the 1970s. If we see pictures of a family having dinner, a person getting their hair styled, talking on the phone, or reading in bed, we usually know what's going on. It's familiar. I think it is not a matter of age, but lack of experience makes us perceive someone or something being 'the other' or different. If a person has never been to a nightclub, drag, or burlesque show or socialized with people of diverse backgrounds, nationalities, ethnicities, gender, or sexual identities, it could seem otherworldly. A stranger's home or nightclub can be equally mysterious, fascinating, or frightening. Welcome the stranger. The experience might open your heart and mind while having a good time.
