TOMORROW

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TODAY

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YESTERDAY
TOMORROW // TODAY // YESTERDAY at Panda NYC is a showcase of emerging
photojournalistsʼ work. Maisie Crow, Amiran White, Ryan Brooks, Emily Anne Epstein,
Agaton Strom, Alvaro Corzo and Tiffany L. Clark have each completed an extensive
project on a distinct individual, sharing with us the events and emotions of one person's
life. The result is a complicated and compelling group of photo essays that highlights
the possibilities of photojournalism as an art form.

The exhibit allows photojournalists to share work normally censored by newspapers for
its content or even for its intimacy. The public will be confronted by photojournalistic
portraiture and be able to connect with issues in a way unique to photojournalistic
storytelling.

Each photograph's title is a quote by the subject so that viewers might hear the voice of
the person as well as see their image- free from the restraints and pressures of the
media.

-Emily Anne Epstein, Curator

Photograph pricing can be found in the exhibit index.

For purchase inquiries please email Emily at emily.anne.epstein@gmail.com.

 
AMIRAN WHITE // Sambhav

In December 2009, the Center for Science and Environment in Delhi, released a report
acknowledging what those living in the shadow of the old Union Carbide pesticide
factory already know- their water and soil is highly contaminated. Extreme levels of
pesticides and hard metals like mercury and lead are being recorded in the aquifers as
far away as 3kms from the plant, leading to the chronic poisoning of thousands of
residents living in the bustling neighborhoods around the factory.

It has been 25-years since 40,000 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC) escaped from the
factory in Bhopal killing thousands of people, and it has been 25-years that the local
residents have been asking for the factory to be cleaned up and decontaminated.
Neither the Indian government who own the land, nor DOW Chemical, who now own the
factory, have taken on the responsibility and new generations, including families who
werenʼt in the area during the gas-explosion, are being born with disabilities and chronic
ailments directly attributed to the water and soil around them.

I spent several months in Bhopal in 2009, trying to get a sense of life in Bhopal now. I
met and hung out with many of the affected families that live now, or have lived near the
abandoned factory.

Sambhav is 6-years-old and one of hundreds of children born with disabilities to parents
who remember all too vividly, the terror of the gas explosion.
“It was like there was chili powder in the air,” said Sambhavʼs father, Ashish, “everyone
was running and screaming- there were bodies falling everywhere.”

These six images are from Sambhav, who has cerebral palsy, and his parents who
struggle daily to make Sambhavʼs life more comfortable.

Amiran White was born and raised in England, but after traveling and working many
odd jobs, from bartending to shrimp fishing, she settled in the United States and spent a
decade working as a staff newspaper photographer. A couple of years ago, Amiran
decided to freelance in order to see more of the world and find stories that she believe
should be shared. She has no base, choosing to live out of a suitcase, which she says
makes life easier and cheaper. Amiran has since lived in Central America, followed by a
year in India.

More of her work can be found at www.AmiranPhoto.com

All Photographs $ 175

“The doctors here (in Bhopal) know very little about Sambhavʼs
condition,” said Sambhavʼs mother, Bhavna, "they didnʼt even have
a name for it- I was told he was beyond hope and that we shouldnʼt
bother with him. We were so scared.”

“We spent several years researching and reading about his

condition and discovered he had all the signs of cerebral palsy- and
there are so many children like him since the tragedy. They
(doctors) all say nothing can be done. But what we need is
research. There's been no research done on the children and they
are suffering because of it."

“Heʼs my son and I love him, and Iʼll do whatever it takes to make
his life better. I used to worry about keeping the house clean,
cooking, being a good wife- but none of that matters. He always
wants attention, itʼs hard to scrub a floor when heʼs screaming for
me.”

“Sheʼs a real handful, but seems to be all there. Together, it can be

tough, but she plays with him and is gentle most of the time- he
laughs so much when sheʼs around.”

“He will only sleep in the hammock- I think he has no pain then- we
just rock him, back-and-forth, and finally he will sleep. Peace”

"We have very little money now, just getting to the doctor costs too
much- but Sambhav responds well to treatments, we have to take
him. Discovering The Chingari Trust was a miracle for us. They
give free physical therapy and teachers- but most importantly, I
have made friends with other mothers- I am not alone in this.”
RYAN BROOKS // Mike Baca

Identity, escapism and addiction are consistent themes in my photography projects.

Theyʼve never been so clearly illustrated as they are in this project on graffiti writers,
whose intense, compulsive personalities reflect my own obsession to express an
insiderʼs perspective of the marginalized members of our society. With this project, I
investigate the different events and circumstances that have shaped the lives of these
writers, trying to contextualize the ways in which their passions manifest.

The roots of the graffiti movement extend deep into the poor communities on the
outskirts of New York City in the late 1970ʼs, when the defiant and the disenfranchised
began to reassert their existence in a city that was all too eager to push them into
obscurity. Without compromise, graffiti writers emerged from their communities and
forced themselves into the eye of the public.

Despite the best efforts of authorities to control the proliferation of graffiti, the
determination of the community could not be suppressed. Feeding on conflict, the
movement exploded in popularity throughout the 80ʼs and 90ʼs, while spreading
throughout the cities of the world and attracting the interest of a broader range of social
classes.

While there are extensive records of their work, the artists themselves remain elusive.
Through this photography project I have sought out the individuals behind the
movement. I find great appeal in pursuing subjects whose existence society has tried to
stamp out or refused to acknowledge all together. People detached from the
mainstream, the ordinary. Though our pursuits and approaches differ, graffiti writers and
I share a common bond in our mutual passion to forge a distinct identity.

While the ultimate goal of my project is to create engaging and informative photos, my
motivation lies in the process. I find it highly rewarding to maneuver through this
obscure population, identifying and engaging key people in the movement, earning their
trust so that I may be absorbed into their daily rituals. I strive to create intimate
expository images that reflect their personalities, passions and pursuits. By doing so, I
inform the viewer and encourage them to forge their own opinions of these
personalities. Utilizing an aesthetic that accentuates the mystery of the movement, the
images pay homage to the culture these people have painstakingly forced into our
awareness while taking a step forward in revealing their true identities.

Ryan Brooks graduated from William Paterson University in 2005. He skipped

graduation to start traveling and enlisted in the Peace Corps shortly thereafter. He
returned to the NYC area in 2007 and has been living in the city exploring its nooks and
crannies ever since.

More of his work can be found at www.RyanBrooksPhoto.com

All Photographs $ 200

“My name is 2Esae or Mike Baca first of all. Thatʼs what my mom
gave me but 2Esae is what the streets know me as.”

“Iʼve got a 43 count indictment thatʼs pending in Queens right now. I

had that case in Queens and another weak case in Brooklyn. They
really had nothing on me.”

“So I was thinking this whole time that I was going to be let off.
Considering all the stuff Iʼve been doing for the community, painting
murals, doing fashion shows.”

“I could eventually get another year and half to seven years. Iʼm in jail
waiting to see what happens.”

“I spent all my savings on bail money, just bailing myself out. Thank God
I had it. Nobody had to help me out there, that's why Iʼm out on the
street. I have one legal aid. Sheʼs pretty much on vacation all the time.”

“Iʼm going to jail October 24th. I gotta turn myself in at nine in the
morning at the Brooklyn court house.”
AGATON STROM // Ricky Dee

My documentary work is first and foremost about my fascination with my subjects. This
curiosity stems from a recognition of elements of myself I find in my subjects, no matter
how different they may appear on the surface. I wish for my images to transcend my
own individual experiences with the subject and translate into a deeper, more objective
view of their life.  
 
Making friends with Ricky Dee started as a challenge to decipher a seemingly erratic
and incomprehensible individual but pretty early on in our friendship I found that we had
a lot in common. His dreams and desires are not that different from mine, despite the
fact he is nearly twice my age. A few months into our friendship, I decided to document
my experiences with him. I started by taking photographs and I recorded the daily voice
mails he left me. Looking at the photographs and recordings, I began to see traces of an
alternate self and imagined a life plagued by alcoholism and mental illness.  
 
The photographs allowed me to explore the pain, joy and excitement in my friendʼs life
with the distance provided by the camera lens. In the end, I never fully figured him out.
Instead of understanding the strange behavior that confused and fascinated me, I
learned to view and approach Ricky the way Iʼd like to be approached.  

Agaton Strom grew up in a small town in Sweden and moved to London following high
school to work for a photographer and editor. After returning to Sweden to study at the
Stockholm Art School he moved to the USA and continued to work for advertising and
commercial photographers. In 2005 he moved to New York and began a career as a
freelance photographer.

More of his work can be found at www.AgatonPhoto.com  

All photographs $240

"I don't know where to go any more."

"Last night's adventure turned out to be a nightmare as usual."

"If you don't keep your shit together you are gonna wind up in McCarren
Park with the derelicts."

"Lets face it, life ain't fair anyway."

"Last night I was fucking drunk, didn't mean to bother ya."

"Gonna buy myself a little bottle of vodka then I'm going to sleep."
ALVARO CORZO // Reverend Billy Talen

I am passionate about capturing dynamic movements and diverse flows of energy, of

which social activism is one of the most profound and powerful. The fact that the
philosophy of groups like these is based on cultural counterinsurgency fascinates me as
a photojournalist.

Thus, I immersed myself in one the most vibrantly appealing movements I have recently
encountered, “The Church of Life After Shopping”, which rapidly became the center of
this long-term project. With the belief that Reverend Billy Talen was key to
understanding its countercultural message, I spent the last six months following his
steps around New York City and beyond in an intense and intimate photographic
journey. Billy Talen, a mixture of entertainer, provocateur, street philosopher and
modern corporate mercenary, created this post-religious church in 1999. Since then,
and with 58 arrests, he and his church have developed several aggressive and effective
campaigns to fight corporate abuse and community oppression. From keeping Wall Mart
away from NYC, eliminating Disney Sweat Shops, getting Victoria Secret to change its
policy of printing the lingerie catalog on recycled paper, saving Coney Island, to ending
Mountain Top Removal, this postmodern church with more than 4.000 followers around
the country has earned the credentials to be considered a vital component of the new
wave of 21st century activism in America.

In these days when our society is so full of doubt about the system and the environment
we live in, I find it important to emphasize the efforts of this engaging bizarre neo-
guerrilla, strongly committed to awakening the collective conscience on issues such as
modern day slavery, overconsumption and the protection of the environment.

Alvaro Corzo V is a political scientist and photographer based in New York since 2006.
After starting his career as a journalist for one of Colombiaʼs major newspapers he
moved to the U.S. in search of new cultural and aesthetic horizons. Since then he has
worked as a freelancer for various Hispanic publications.

More of his work can be found at www.Corzo360.com

 
All photographs $250

"Costumes. Identities. Lecturing to future Wall Street cats but I'm not
in my collar. Stop shopping! I say. But I look like a salesman
myself."

"What would the real Jesus buy? He liked the gift economy without
money. Shopping is a sin. Giving is a miracle!"

"Another day in hell fighting consumerism, fortified in the faith that I look
good in a thrift store fake leather!"

"Save Coney Island! Do you feel the devil in the developer? Coney-
lujah! Freak-a-lujah!"

"Jesus lights our path. But I'm not a Christian. Donʼt want to buy Jesus in a
big discount sale. Amen?"

"Yes! The Shopocalypse gives me the blues. But thatʼs not what
really gets me down. Itʼs that DAMN CONVENIENCE!"
TIFFANY L. CLARK // Liliana Servin

Liliana Servin, from Mexico City, is a 16-year-old mother of two who, had been living on
the streets of Mexico City since she was 7 years old. The Daya Shelter located in
Cuajimalpa, a small town on the outskirts of Mexico City, took in Liliana to help her learn
how to take care of her children. She and the other young mothers learn "normal"
everyday tasks like cooking, laundry, cleaning, going to school, and working so that they
are prepared to get back into society. Liliana was admitted to Daya on June 6th, 2008 a
little over a week after she gave birth to Reyna Yolanda on May 27th, 2008.

Liliana, whose mother died at age six, moved to the streets after being sexually abused
multiple times by her uncle. The father of Reyna, who Liliana refers to as her husband,
is working hard on making enough money to be able to get a nice place for all of them to
live. Even though Liliana is happy to not be living on the streets right now, she does not
want her stay at the shelter to be long so she can get back to her "husband" and also to
be able to see her 3 year old son who lives with her aunt.

This photo essay chronicles Liliana's struggle- an experience all too common in Mexico
City, and one I hope will impact viewers.

What I love about photography is that so many different people are involved in the
process and all who are involved are affected; the viewer, the subject and the
photographer. The viewer is getting the chance to see something new or in a different
way. The subject feels a sense of worth because their story is getting out and being
heard. And as a photographer I always feel that I am taking something away every time
I photograph- I get to meet new and interesting people and experiencing things that I
may never have experienced before.

And life is all about the experiences.

Tiffany L. Clark is a freelance photojournalist and documentary photographer based in

New York City and the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Tiffany shoots for a daily in NY and
other publications throughout the city and Minnesota, and has had the opportunity to
work with a few NGOs in Asia and Mexico. Along with shooting, Tiffany is a private re-
toucher and photography software teacher in NYC. She has had work exhibited in the
US & England. Tiffany received her undergraduate degree at Gustavus Adolphus
College in 2005 with a BA in Studio Fine Art and Management and also completed the
one year Photojournalism and Documentary program at the International Center of
Photography in New York City.

More of her work can be found at www.TiffanyLClark.com

All photographs $220

"My mother died when I was only six years old. I had to live with
her sister and her husband, but after a year of living there, I moved
to the streets because my uncle abused and raped me. I have
been living on the streets ever since."

"A lot of times I spend my days just cleaning, cooking and taking
care of all of the babies...."

"I do not like it here very much. I am happy that I am not living
on the street anymore but I can't wait to get out of here to be back
with my husband and start a new life."

"I was 13 when I had my baby boy, different father from Reyna. My
boy lives with my aunt, but I do not see him that often. "

"She is so beautiful."

"It is nice to be in a warm place for once."

MAISIE CROW // Lucia Domingos Artur

"She is my mother and my father," says Cecilia Antonio Domingos about her nine year-
old daughter Lucia Domingos Artur. Cecilia has AIDS and most of the time is unable to
care for herself and must rely on her Lucia. The family lives in Morrumbala in the
Zambezia Province of Mozambique. "Lucia is the one who is responsible for me," says
Cecilia, "I could have died because of not having water. I could have died because of
not having food. I could have died because of not having the fire you see here," says
Cecilia talking about all of the things her daughter does for her on a regular basis. After
getting sick three years ago, Cecilia says her husband left her and told her to go back
home to Morrumbala. "I don't know who will take care of my children if something
happens to me. My mother would never be able to take care of these children so they
might go live with my uncle in Mocuba," Cecilia said. She passed away from AIDS on
Tuesday, August 23, 2010, leaving her two daughters orphaned.

Today, around 1.5 million children in Mozambique have lost one or both parents.
Children and young adults are often left to head households. The Zambezia Province is
the poorest and most populated province in Mozambique with over three million
inhabitants. The high rate of HIV and AIDS is breaking down family structures, leaving
children with little or no care, protection and guidance.

Maisie Crow is a freelance photographer and multimedia producer based in Brooklyn,

New York. In 2010 her multimedia piece, "A Life Alone", was nominated for a News and
Documentary Emmy and recognized in the NPPA Best of Photojournalism competition.
She received the Ian Parry Scholarship and The Pierre and Alexandra Boulat Grant in
2009. She is featured in the Emerging Talent section of Reportage by Getty Images. In
2008, Maisie began pursuing her master's degree in Visual Communication at Ohio
University. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas and
attended the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. She has interned at The Boston
Globe and MediaStorm.

More of her work can be found at www.MaisieCrow.com

All photographs $200

"She is my mother and my father. I worry because I know that if I

die my children are going to suffer."

"Sometimes I say if god didn't give me this child I would have

already been dead. I feel like my child is passing through a hard
time. If I wasn't sick she wouldn't be going through this."

"Lucia teaches Hilaria how to wash clothes and other jobs she
does. If they are given maize, they pound together. They
understand each other."

"If god helps her and she grows, she would like to be a teacher."

"Do you know the story of David and Goliath? God is giving power
to Lucia, just like he gave David power to beat Goliath because
there are not many children that could do this."

"I am not scared. If they hurt me it will be better. I am suffering,"

Lucia said.
EMILY ANNE EPSTEIN // Deity

Feminism takes on many forms. Burlesque dancing, the classic, provocative parody,
seems to be its latest incarnation. Women of all ages, shapes, and sizes are flocking to
the stage to experience their bodies and their culture in new ways.

I photographed Deity, a forty something burlesque dancer living in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

I photographed her for several months, both on and off the stage. During the day, she
quietly sits at her sewing machine while working on costumes for her upcoming shows.
At night, she radiates on stages across the city, clad in sequins and feathers. She is a
performance artist- taking on the guise of different female characters in society and
stripping them down.

With this work, I sought to examine society's preconceptions about burlesque dancers.
Why is the female body so controversial? Can it be humorous? I wanted to look at the
life of a burlesque dancer from a more intimate and subtle point of view. Her dancing is
a form of self expression- much like my own photography. We both expose ourselves to
the scrutiny of the public through our art forms, in the hopes that we might just inspire
someone looking on.  
 
Emily Anne Epstein studied literature and film at Columbia University. Emily has been
published in periodicals such as TIME, Newsweek, and Newsday. Currently residing in
New York City, she is a freelance photographer- contributing to Corbis Images, writing
for The New York Times and curating shows like this one.

More of her work can be found at www.EmilyAnneEpstein.com

All photographs $ 200

"My Mom...doesn't know."

"I feel if I'm on the stage, I can do anything I want."

"I take it off the way I want to take it off. That's what made me
really get into the burlesque."

"I always wanted to be a dancer or...someone in the spotlight."

"The difference between showing your body and sharing your body
is there's guilt in showing your body and there's no guilt in sharing
it. There's a line you don't cross."

"I liberate these characters by doing my performance art. They're part of

my fantasies."