In his new book of photographs, simply titled A, Gregory Halpern leads us on a ramble through the brilliant and ruined streets of the United States Rust Belt. The cast of characters, both human and animal, are portrayed with compassion and respect by this native son of Buffalo (now professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology). The cities he is drawn to—Baltimore, Cincinnati, Omaha, Detroit—share similar histories with his hometown, and in this post-apocalyptic springtime all forms of life emerge and run riot. On the heels of Halpern's two previous books, Harvard Works Because We Do (a portrait of Harvard University through the eyes of the school's service employees) and Omaha Sketchbook (a lyrical artist's book portrait of the titular city), A continues the photographer's investigations of locations and persons that fly under the radar.

The book is a finalist for the International Photobook Award Kassel, and will be featured in The Photobook: A History, Volume 3, by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger. Halpern holds a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University and an MFA from California College of the Arts. Halpern is also the recipient of the Aaron Siskind Award.

Thursday, February 14, 12:30 pm
Room B-311, SMFA