Christmas Project 2010
Project Summary: The images were captured with a DSLR camera and printed as 14 x 21 archival digital prints. This project documents the emotions that flash across people’s faces when they first see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Artist Statement: I wondered what kind of expressions might show up on people’s faces the instant they encountered the holiday decorations in Rockefeller Center. What would their reaction be? Had a bad economy put a damper on people’s enthusiasm? How would they react to so much light, joy, and holiday cheer, especially when many are having their own lives darkened by forces beyond their control? Would my subjects show happiness, sadness, stress, fear, or again be transported, even overwhelmed by the 2010 holiday experience? I intended to find out.
I know all too well the pressures of the Holidays: It’s an emotional roller coaster ride from start to finish, taking a toll on you as you try and please everyone- even as you try and enjoy the all that the season offers. I knew that on any given day, a steady procession of hundreds of people would come to Rockefeller Center to pay their holiday respects. I wanted to see if the expressions on their faces would betray them by showing what was really going on behind the festive masks they wear. Just how much would people reveal about themselves and their humanity?
A trip to Rockefeller Center at Christmas has become an annual pilgrimage for many. People come from all over the world to see the Tree. I wanted to spend at least a week; during the day and at night, under sunny skies, and in snow, taking close-up pictures of the faces of young and old revelers, both American and non-Americans who made the trip to experience everything Rockefeller Center can deliver. I wanted this project to reflect all the mystery and magic that is Christmas in 2010.