10 Photos
Bill O'Donnell
Bill O'Donnell was an avid road runner in local races.
Bill and Diane O'Donnell in 2006 at the Vermont Century Ride.
From left, Rich Brierley, Mike Bottini, and Bill O'Donnell after an open water swim around Hicks Island off Napeague. COURTESY RACHEL CRUZEN
It is hard to say whether a particular eccentric and electric force of New York fashion photography will be making his way out to the East End anytime soon, but his work is already lining the walls of the Southampton Arts Center.
Bill Cunningham is a “man on the street” in the truest sense of photojournalism. The energetic 86-year-old bikes about Manhattan, wearing his signature blue workman’s jacket, stopping to grab photos of street-wise fashionistas and developing trends. To this day, his work appears in The New York Times after more than half a century spent passionately shooting the city’s cloth culture.
“He’s ubiquitous in New York City and one of the most influential society photographers in the country,” according to Michele Thompson, director of the Southampton Arts Center, where an exhibit of Mr. Cunningham’s work, “Facades,” will remain on view through Sunday, July 12.
The series features photographs of women foregrounding famous Manhattan buildings while wearing period costumes that correspond to the construction or remodeling dates of each historical architecture. He shot the photos starting in 1968, exactly 20 years after the Boston transplant and Harvard dropout moved to his beloved city. At first, he exclusively featured the late Editta Sherman, known to some as the “Duchess of Carnegie Hall.” She was his friend, neighbor and a photographer in her own right.
Mr. Cunningham donated the series to the New York Historical Society, which has partnered with the Southampton Arts Center for this exhibit. Ms. Thompson said the hope is, ultimately, “Facades” will inspire the photographer to pay a visit to the East End.
“We don’t know yet whether or not there’s a chance of him coming out here for it—and we’re hoping that maybe he will,” she said. “There are so many people in this community that are devoted to him that we thought it would be a great idea to bring it here.”
“Facades,” featuring work by photographer Bill Cunningham, will remain on view through Sunday, July 12, at the Southampton Arts Center. Gallery hours are Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (631) 283-0967, or visit southamptoncenter.org.
on Jun 29, 2015