jeffrey milstein reveals the mesmerizing complexity of LA + NY from above

jeffrey milstein reveals the mesmerizing complexity of LA + NY from above
(above) ‘NYC 28 stuyvesant town’
all images © jeffrey milstein

los angeles-based kopeikin gallery and new york-based benrubi gallery present ‘LANY’, a series of aerial imagery depicting the urban and fabricated landscapes of the two cities by photographer jeffrey milstein. from an altitude of 1,000 – 2,000 feet, milstein captures unparalleled views of landmarks, parks, neighborhoods, and city centers that uncover typically unseen architectural and geometrical facets of these metropolises from above. man-made landscapes are reconsidered as surprising shapes — evident in the symmetrical behavior of housing develoments in ‘NYC 28 stuyvesant town’ –and perfectly-formed patterns — apparent in the concentric configuration of ‘LA 07 park la brea’. ‘I was interested in documenting the patterns, layering, and complexity of cities, highlighting airports, container ports, recreational facilities, and residential and commercial developments’ milstein says, ‘all of which grow organically over time and are connected by roads and arterial highways like a living organism.’

‘NYC 36 metropolitan museum’

not only do the images reveal the unseen, mesmerizing complexity of two multifaceted urban landscapes, but they also visually communicate social and cultural devisions between neighborhoods. milstein says ‘in LA, the socio economics of neighborhoods are evident in the color hue and patterns of the aerial images. the hue shifts from browns toward greens and blues in the increasingly wealthy neighborhoods which have more trees, pools, and tennis courts, and the roads become more curved. the american dream of owning ones own single family home can be seen at one extreme in the most affluent LA neighborhoods, where nearly every house has its own pool and tennis court, often just feet from the neighbors. in another extreme, the photographs of the homes built in the high desert of palmdale, california can be seen surrounded by parched earth with small patches of green struggling to survive.’

‘NYC 01’