"Be Well'' (Apollo Theater) 2020 Harlem, NYC

by Ruben Natal-San Miguel

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Artist Statement

The image is part of the Covid-19 series currently on display as part of NY Responds at The Museum of The City of NY and included in the Museum of The City of NY's permanent collection.

Why We Love It

When Natal-San Miguel captured this quiet, arresting scene over a year ago, NYC was only a matter of days into a citywide shutdown. Outfitted in a mask and gloves and carrying a camera, Natal-San Miguel did what he does best: he ventured out on foot to photograph the city he loves so much and (from a safe distance) the inhabitants that give this metropolis its unmistakable, inimitable texture. It was on one of these walks around Harlem that the artist spotted the Apollo Theater’s illuminated marquee, it’s bold, black, all-caps lettering reaching out into the unusually dark street to offer a lifeline. “Be Well,” it urged, a gracious and imperative love poem to passers by. Because Natal-San Miguel framed his shot slightly askew, the name of the theater is just discernible at right. With the context clear, there’s extra emphasis on the irregularity of the abandoned scene. The marquee hovers midway between the street and the unlit building above, caught in a liminal zone like New Yorkers on PAUSE. Bright, colorful lights send healing rays into the inky stillness. At a time when human connection felt fraught if not impossible, Natal-San Miguel conveyed a kind of intimacy in his photo of the Apollo, a complex, almost human air of dignity and vulnerability. "Be Well'' (Apollo Theater) 2020 Harlem, NYC is a moment of hope, solidarity, togetherness, tragedy, and tenacity—all in one ... More on the blog!

Ruben Natal-San Miguel

RUBEN NATAL-SAN MIGUEL is an architect, fine art photographer, curator, creative director and critic. His stature in the photo world has earned him awards, features in major media, countless exhibitions and collaborations with photo icons such as Magnum Photographer Susan Meiselas. Gallery shows include: Asya Geisberg, SoHo Photo, Rush Arts, Finch & Ada, Kris Graves Projects, Fuchs Projects, WhiteBox Gallery, Station Independent Projects Gallery, LMAK Gallery, Postmasters Gallery Rome & NYC and others. His work has been featured in numerous institutions: The New York Public Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Griffin Museum of Photography, Museum of Fine... Read More
Arts Boston, African American Museum of Philadelphia, The Makeshift Museum in Los Angeles, University of Washington, El Museo del Barrio, Studio museum of Harlem, The Museo Of The City of NY, Fitchburg Museum of Art, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, Mint Museum, NC., The Musée De La Civilization, Quebec ,Canada and Phillips Auction House , Aperture Foundation, Rockefeller Center, NYC and a most recent Art & Design Lightbox Commission Project for the Metropolitan Transit Authority NYC Subway at Barclay’s Center , Brooklyn, NYC. International art fair representation includes: Outsider Art Fair, SCOPE, PULSE, Art Chicago, Zona Maco, Mexico, Lima Photo, Peru and Photo LA. and Filter Photo Festival in Chicago Ill. His photography has been published in a long list of publications, highlights: New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Time OUT, Aperture, Daily News, OUT, American Photo, ARTFORUM, VICE, Musee, ARTnet and The New Yorker, PBS and NPR. In 2016, Ruben’s Marcy’s Playground was selected for both the Billboard Collective and website for Apple. His photographs are in the permanent collections of El Museo Del Barrio in NYC, The North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC., The Center for Photography at Woodstock, NY, The Contemporary Collection of the Mint Museum Charlotte, North Carolina, The Bronx Museum for the Arts, School of Visual Arts, NYC, The Fitchburg Museum of Art, Massachusetts, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, The Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, The Studio Museum of Harlem and The Museum of The City of NY.
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