Dawoud Bey: Syracuse 1985

Stephen Daiter Gallery is pleased to present Dawoud Bey: Syracuse 1985, on view through November 28^th. Following his early success with Harlem, U.S.A., Dawoud Bey was invited to participate in his first-ever artist residency in 1985 at Light Work in Syracuse, New York. This one-month residency provided Bey with a place to live and work without interruption—a rarity for a young artist. He spent his days walking the city streets, photographing from sunup to sundown. In just a short time, Bey produced an astonishing body of work, capturing moments of light as it blanketed commuters, waiting patiently for the bus, hustling to work or school, or resting in a café.

“The month spent in residence at Light Work has me taken back into the street again—in search of that ever-elusive moment when life coalesces into a cogent visual statement. The resulting photographs mark a new level of seeing for me.”

On view at the gallery will be the original twenty-six prints Bey produced during his Light Work residency, along with several other early prints of Syracuse. An illustrated catalog, Dawoud Bey: Syracuse 1985, will be available for purchase.