SIP reveals forgotten local faces

SIP may be a compact lounge and gallery, but a lot of the surrounding area’s culture and history of area is contained within its walls.

Steven Carbó’s new exhibit “Overlooked: Faces of Manhattan Valley,” which opened Feb. 2 in SIP’s gallery, features vivid images of people from the neighborhood surrounding Columbia in their daily lives. Some are dapper, while others tout work clothes, getting ready to relax after a long day’s work. Carbó’s work focuses mainly on men­—only one woman appears in all of his photographs, and her face is not shown.

Carbó’s mother and grandmother immigrated to New York over 60 years ago from Puerto Rico. In his life, Carbó has worked tirelessly to improve civil issues on the national, state, and local levels. He is currently the senior program director at Demos, a public policy research and advocacy organization, which works to increase implementation of the National Voter Registration Act so qualifying voters can register when renewing their driver’s license or applying for other social services.

Carbó’s exhibit showcases men of the many different cultures that make up Manhattan Valley. While the backgrounds of his subjects are not discussed, his pictures are linked by the cohesiveness of the Manhattan Valley landscape.

Carbó’s photographs capture their subjects enjoying simple pleasures. In “Dominos,” a man is pictured gambling with a friend. In “Paloma,” a man is dancing with a loved one.

All of the men in Carbó’s photographs are older. Many of them appear to be approaching or past typical retirement age. One of the oldest men is stubbly and wears his age humbly. Another man has unruly gray hair and a matching beard.

In some photographs Carbó includes brightly colored objects like a red door or a turquoise shirt, which make his photographs pop and steal attention from the protagonists. Others communicate with viewers more subtly, showing only faces. These shots have a simple but arresting quality, showing men who exude confidence and wisdom in clean black and white. The eyes of the men pictured seem to communicate to the viewer experiences and hardships in their lives.

In these small ways, Carbó’s exhibit sheds light on the men of the Manhattan Valley, and gives a limited, but accurate glimpse into what it means to live there.