In honor of the 100th-anniversary of New York’s Grand Central Station, photographer Timothy Briner restricted the third installment of his series “Gotham City” to the Beaux-Arts-style train station. From a dizzying look at the decadent grandeur of Grand Central Station’s ceiling to the huge sunlight-filled window in the main terminal, and Junior’s striped sign, Briner captures the many textures, histories, and fleeting moments within this architectural icon.
Even though Briner’s investigation into Grand Central Station features some of the century-old architecture, most of his photographs represent the commuters that fill the train station on a daily basis. Briner presents Grand Central Station as a living structure, filled with anxious commuters running through the crowded station as they have for a hundred years. Movement becomes more important than the grand architecture through Briner’s photographic eye. In the crush of people rushing up the staircases and subway escalators, Briner manages to catch the weary and wary gazes of a few of the travelers.
Possibly due to the presence of New York Fashion Week last week, the commuters carry bags from glamorous and also iconic New York department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Barney’s. With the exception of a few puffy down-jackets, the individuals selected by Briner, from the business traveler in his suit to an elegant older woman in her long fur coat, appear as timeless as the train station. timothybriner.com
Words by Emily Colucci
