Barbara Mensch’s latest exhibition “Themes for a Courthouse in Brooklyn” is a photographic installation in Brooklyn on the functions of the Justice court.
Three walls of the gallery showcase selections from her longterm projects spanning several decades. In this exhibition Mensch selects photographs to mirror the functions of the court (to naturalize immigrants, prosecute criminals, litigate major corporate violations, and ensure civil rights).
A wall of modern prints drawn from Mensch’s 2018 publication, “In The Shadow Of Genius” presents the story of immigrant John Roebling. As a naturalized citizen Roebling is best known as the designer of the Brooklyn Bridge.who became America’s pre eminent bridge builder and engineer. The intimately scaled photographs and accompanying pamphlet tell parts of this epic story. Mensch relies on the cinematic device of “memory and association”, imagery that invites the viewer to interpret the story.
On another wall, a selection of vintage prints from Mensch’s New York waterfront series shows the grim world of workingmen (governed by their own laws and moral codes), caught in the cross hairs of federal investigations.
Vintage gelatin silver prints drawn from her most recent monographs, “ A Falling Off Place- The Transformation Of Lower Manhattan.” and “New York City On Foot”, are installed on the third wall of the gallery .The large scale images depict.soulful portraits of our city’s recent past and remind us all of what’s at stake as the city transforms. On view are large scale images of structural icons that were mired in controversy but finally demolished.
The exhibition fuses Mensch’s passion for exquisite printmaking with a philosophy that fine art should be available to a general audience and inspire people from all walks of life.
Located in downtown Brooklyn, The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York is one of the busiest and most important courthouses in the country. This court has prosecuted cases against internationally known criminals, drug and narcotics traffickers, including El Chapo, and mafia don, John Gotti. On any given day federal marshals, judges, lawyers, prosecutors, members of the press, jurors, court clerks, school groups, law students, building staff and many others criss cross paths on the ground floor rotunda where the gallery is located. The exhibition space offers individuals a place of quiet contemplation and also serves to show art in a public setting.
The exhibition is open to the public and remains on view through May 2025.
Barbara Mensch
Barbara Mensch has mounted numerous gallery exhibitions and public commissions of her work.Mensch has created various books and monographs including her recent work, “A Falling Off Place-The Transformation of Lower Manhattan”(with a forward by New York Times journalist Dan Barry). She has lectured at venues including The New York Public Library at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, The International Center of Photography, and The Paris College of Art. A project with The Museum of Modern Art is planned for 2025. Her work has been reviewed in national media outlets including the New York Times, The Washington Post and the New Yorker Magazine. Mensch’s work is included in museum, private, and corporate collections.
