By Tammy Scileppi
There are two sides to every story.
During her adventures aboard one of the busiest subway arteries in the city—the No. 7 line—fine art digitographer Carol Reid discovered a wealth of interesting views of Queens, from both on and off the train. Those alternate views inspired her newest photography project.
One day last October, when Reid got off at a local elevated station of the line known as the International Express, she came across several grid-like “looking glass panels” lined up on a wall. The panels seemed to go completely unnoticed by the other riders.
Peering through those small blurred window panes, Reid found that ordinary street views of the Queens neighborhood—views that people who were focused on getting where they needed to go would probably find bleak and boring—had taken on an otherworldly, through-the-looking-glass dimension. As an artist, she saw “beautiful changes of light and color.”
It was serendipity—a true “ah-ha” moment. Reid realized she had come upon an exciting art form.
“Through the Looking Glass” is a selection of intriguing images Reid has captured with her iPhone, using available morning and afternoon light. After that first day, three additional shoots followed, from three elevated No. 7 train stops that also have those special glass tiles. The original shots were then uploaded to her digital darkroom for final editing as large-format fine art, archival limited edition prints. “This process exemplifies the way image capture has changed from the days of gear-laden photography,” said Reid, whose idea quickly evolved into an ongoing series.
“My goal is, in fact, to use the changing quality of light along with seasonal changes in trees and street-side activity, to show subtle differences in this seemingly static urban landscape,” Reid explained.
“We are, as a wifi-linked society, accustomed to seeing our world framed by the edges of television, computer, and tablet screens,” she said. “‘Through the Looking Glass’ couples this familiar voyeur view with our fascination for the distortion of funhouse mirrors, to show freeze-framed magical views of communities that line both sides of the 33rd Street, 40th Street and 46th street stations of the elevated No. 7 train in Queens.”
These urban scenes stand out in stark contrast to some of the artist’s other works, which include her “Garden” series, along with a diverse assortment of unexpected images—from offbeat studies of posing mannequins (“Guys & Dolls” series) to rusty old Chevys (“Wheels” series”) to her enigmatic, modern art-style pieces titled “Light Works.” Her “Tree Portraits” series was recently featured at the Portraits of Tall Friends exhibit hosted by the Queens Botanical Garden.
Reid has taken on numerous artistically challenging projects and her ability to transform everyday things and experiences into something magical comes across in every work she creates.
The artist recalled her creative journey on the “International Express” with this poetic description:
“Stretched out like an irresistible animated comic strip, distorted views of colorful street scenes and roof tops catch my eye as my city-bound train pulls into the 46th Street Station on the elevated 7 line in Queens. I get off to investigate. The designs dart like exotic fish across a grid of thick wavy glass squares that line the platforms on both sides of the tracks.”
To see more of Reid’s images, go to www.carol
