Mörel Books’ David Armstrong: Polaroids book is opening a small window to Armstrong’s world.

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David Armstrong

May 24, 1954 – October 26, 2014

"Photographing is like a seduction...”

Over the years, with their bare composition and direct presentation, American photographer David Armstrong’s portraits brought together the worlds of art and fashion. Armstrong was part of the 1970’s Boston School of photography, capturing subcultures and alluring moments, eventually adding colors and misty cityscapes to his black-and-white images in later years. Now, a year after his passing, David Armstrong: Polaroids, his new book published by Mörel Books, presents a collection of photographs focusing Armstrong’s inner circle and immediate surroundings from the 1970’s. Opening a small window into his world…

Alluring scenes:

Born in Arlington, MA, David Armstrong spent most of his life and career in Boston and New York City. Switching from painting to photography in his college years, Armstrong studied at the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Art and met Nan Goldin, a peer who would go on to be a good friend for many years and play a large role in his career, back in high school. The portraits that captured the worlds he delved into with his friends in the 1970’s, while completing his education alongside Goldin, started the Boston School of photography.

Armstrong’s work, focusing on young men, drag queens, his friends and lovers formed an alluring portrait of a world that hadn’t been captured in front of the camera before. The sincerity and intimacy smoldering under the classic air of his photographs began to attract attention.

Later, moving to New York, Armstrong continued portraiture throughout his career, developing his use of natural light and effortlessly capturing style. He later expanded the scope of his work to also include softer blurry landscapes. Introducing his name to a brand new audience through his work with models and the fashion industry in the 2000’s, Armstrong’s work has been exhibited in museums such as PS1 and the Whitney, as well as galleries and magazines all over the world.

What connected the tranquil images Armstrong created throughout his career, however, was the desire to find a still moment in which to uncover and capture what lay beneath beauty. It is this bare sentiment that can be seen throughout David Armstrong: Polaroids.

Momentary portraits:

The world that Polaroids presents falls somewhere in between Armstrong’s landscapes and sharp portraits. This short and modest 64-page journey consists of photographs taken by both Armstrong and his friends during the 1970’s, and the forgiving intimacy inherent within a Polaroid’s fleeting nature and saturation can be found throughout. 

Here, his world, scattered with young and beautiful characters, is a bit more rough and vivid. These photographs, untouched by perfectionism, are the tangible reflection of a group that inspired the art world and a seemingly stylized life story.

In addition to Armstrong, the likes of Bruce Balboni, Nan Goldin, Lisa Love, and Cookie Muller make an appearance in Polaroids. The compositions are plain and familiar: Candid portraits, group photos, family pictures… A selection of understated moments full of humor and friendship, with a few striking frames capturing Armstrong’s technique and style woven among them.

Armstrong, who began his photography with these pictures, passed away while working on Polaroids. Collaborating with Mörel Books while preparing the book, the included Frank O’Hara poem is Armstrong’s personal request, sent in his last e-mail on the subject. The poem follows O’Hara on a regular day in New York as he hears of the passing of Billie Holiday, and the effect of this news amidst the ceaseless flow of life. This loss, planted within O’Hara’s excited tone chronicling his daily routine, effortlessly accompanies the vitality of the book’s selection and the work Armstrong put into it.

The faces we have previously seen through both Armstrong and his friends’ cameras are lovingly placed across Polaroids and its saturated tones. We are invited, if only briefly, to see Armstrong’s surroundings and the world behind his portraits. Yet Armstrong’s hand and style can still be felt, even within these spontaneous moments.

Polaroids is a fairly humble book. Its layout is simple; there is not a single distracting element, and what draws attention are those that exist within it. It is a happy salute from the world of David Armstrong.

*All the images on this page are taken from David Armstrong: Polaroids book. Copyright: Estate of David Armstrong, courtesy of Mörel Books.