In the summer of 2009, Clic Gallery mounted Store Front: The disappearing face of New York, a photographic survey documenting the fast-disappearing mom-and-pop stores of New York City, in conjunction with the release of their book of the same title. James and Karla Murray, specialists in urban photography, spent more than ten years photographing the distinctive facades of family-run shops in neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs, and their bright photographs of local institutions were wildly acclaimed. Praised by, among others, The New Yorker (“These unfussy, elegant and richly colored photographs give connoisseurs of signage, folk typography, and ambient erosion much to pore over”), The London Telegraph (“STORE FRONT offers vivid and intimate insights into the life of one of the world’s great cities.”) and The New York Times (”The images are bright and crisp…holds a curious fascination — indeed, a raw beauty — for anyone concerned with vernacular design.”), STORE FRONT was the subject of an artistic collaboration with Gawker Media entitled “Mom & Popism” in July 2009. James and Karla Murray have lectured extensively on the subject of the plight of New York City’s mom and pop stores at venues including The New York Public Library, The Brooklyn Historical Society, The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum.
Building on the success of STORE FRONT, STORE FRONT II will mount previously unexhibited photos from the Murrays’ photoseries, including shots of New York City landmarks, including Amy’s Bread, CBGB’s and Murray’s Cheese as well as lesser-known gems throughout the five boroughs.
In addition to their monograph STORE FRONT, JAMES AND KARLA MURRAY have co-authored two books on New York City graffiti art, “Broken Windows-Graffiti NYC” (Gingko Press 2002, revised 2009) and “Burning New York” (Gingko 2006) as well as “Miami Graffiti (Prestel 2009).
Until March 27
Clic Gallery
255 Centre Street
New York, NY 10013
