Brooklyn-born photographer Frank Tagariello began his career in 1978. After graduating from Pratt Institute, he worked as an art director and travel photographer at Travel & Leisure magazine. Like his hero, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Tagariello always carries a camera ready to capture what Bresson called "the decisive moment" or the exact instance of a distinctive event.
"I see a moment as I'm walking when light, form, and color all come together. A situation that is unique, and I'm able to capture it in a split second," he says.
These days Tagariello often uses an iPhone to shoot spontaneous street photography in New York City, where he currently lives. His photo "Chelsea Market Handmaids" was an unplanned encounter.
"I took this photo in 2018. The location was behind Chelsea Market on 10th Avenue in Manhattan. 'The Handmaid's Tale' was a popular TV series at the time, and you could not help noticing the iconic uniforms. Not sure what they were doing, I did not see any camera crews, just these women, standing, very quiet. A form of protest?" Tagariello says.
Chelsea Market Handmaids is part of the exhibition "Multiplicity: Together and Apart" at the Olive Free Library Association showcasing 11 artists whose works are presented as multiple pieces that are intended to work together or individually. "When asked to create diptychs for the upcoming show, I paired the handmaids with a photo I took last year in Times Square on my way to work: a woman, on her knees, praying in front of a neon American flag, enforcing the serious state of women's rights after the last election," Tagariello says.
"Multiplicity: Together and Apart" opens January 18. Curated by Jan Sosnowitz, the show will run from January 18 through March 1 with an opening reception on January 18 from 3-5pm, and an artist's meet and greet event on March 1 from 2:30-4pm.
"I originally proposed a show of diptychs and triptychs, but after I chose these artists, it became clear that a broader scope was needed, Sosnowitz says. "This show is based on the inherent curiosity and exploration evoked in producing visual art. What I find fascinating is the interaction between these pieces. The diversity of personal interpretations was exactly what I was after."
Included in "Multiplicity" are the works by Nova Darkstar, Ted Dixon, Robin Factor, Pat Hough, Sarah Mecklem, Lowell Miller, Robert Ohnigian, Vincent Pidone, Alan Samalin, M. J. Shepard, and Tagariello.
Always drawn to strong color combinations, lighting, and people, Tagariello's photos work in tandem or stand alone. Tagariello says, "I have friends who say I took a 'Frank photo' and have sent me an interesting, colorful, composed photograph. It's nice to know that I had some influence on how people can see the world."
