the literate lens

photography, writing and the spaces between

Author Archives: sarahjcoleman

Vegetable Peelings: Revealing the Creative Process

When a photograph becomes acclaimed, whether as journalism or art, questions can swirl around it. What’s the story—did the photographer capture the image in a moment of serendipity or as … Continue reading

October 24, 2014 · 6 Comments

Art Therapy

“So, Sarah, how can I help?” Thus begins my interview with Saul Robbins, distinguishing it from countless photographer interviews I’ve conducted over the years. For unlike other photographers, Robbins isn’t … Continue reading

October 15, 2014 · 3 Comments

Photoville Grows Up

Photoville is all grown up. In 2012, when the pop-up photography village launched with twenty-some shipping containers on the Brooklyn waterfront, it was the equivalent of a toddler: jolly, eager … Continue reading

October 1, 2014 · 1 Comment

Shooting High: Art Takes on New York’s Tallest Building

Good things come to those who wait, we’re sometimes told. In the case of One World Trade Center, the soon-to-open building popularly known as the Freedom Tower, is that the … Continue reading

September 24, 2014 · 2 Comments

A Visit to Julia Margaret Cameron’s Dimbola

Julia Margaret Cameron, the great Victorian photographer of lyrical portraits and illustrated legends, lived and worked on the U.K.’s Isle of Wight from 1860 to 1875. This is where she … Continue reading

August 25, 2014 · 13 Comments

Triangulated

On March 25, 1911, the United States experienced its deadliest ever industrial disaster. At around 4:40 p.m. that day, a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, on the … Continue reading

July 18, 2014 · 8 Comments

Silicon Dreams: An Interview with Doug Menuez

In the last thirty years, digital technology has become indispensable. So seamlessly is this technology integrated into our lives that it’s sometimes hard to remember that as recently as the … Continue reading

June 30, 2014 · 3 Comments

American Atrophy

The clash between the bright optimism of America’s Dream and the tawdry gaudiness of its day-to-day reality is a subject that has been well covered in many artistic media. Authors … Continue reading

June 10, 2014 · 13 Comments

Apples and Oranges: An interview with Yael Ben-Zion

“I was wondering maybe could I make you my baby/If we do the unthinkable would it make us look crazy?” Alicia Keys sings in her 2010 hit song Unthinkable (I’m … Continue reading

May 20, 2014 · 3 Comments