Such Mean Estate #1
For his new book, Such Mean Estate, Photographer Ryan Spencer spent about two years watching dozens of disaster movies. As he went he photographed stills from these epic-destruction fests using black and white film and a polaroid land camera. Amid the spectacle in movies like Day After Tomorrow and Resident Evil Extinction, Ryan isolated the quiet and mysterious moments that might otherwise go unappreciated amid the chaos and destruction: A tiny lone figure atop a monolithic highway overpass, the smoldering skyline of some anonymous city, the silhouette of a figure staring up at a blindingly white sky. Fifty-four of Ryan’s apocalyptic polaroids appear in Such Mean Estate along with an appropriately haunting introductory essay by Leslie Jamison. A few weeks ago I got a chance to meet up with Ryan at his Brooklyn apartment to talk about the book.
Such Mean Estate #10
Such Mean Estate #9
Such Mean Estate #19
Such Mean Estate #54
Playlist
Playlist
Weeping Icon is the Brooklyn-based experimental punk band comprised of Sara Fantry (guitar, vocals), Sarah Reinold (bass), and Lani Combier-Kapel (drums, vocals). With a super heavy sound and serious… | watch
This week's guest is Travis Harrison, head honcho of Serious Business Music, the amazing engineer behind our BTR Live Studio sessions, and the producer behind the recent Guided By Voices records. We… | listen
We discuss Scorsese’s latest, ‘The Irishman.’ Plus a preview of Maneka’s upcoming BTR Live Studio session. | listen
Jay Som and Boy Scouts came to Brooklyn and BTR's cameras were there. | read
A short film featuring NYC artist and musician Joanna Sternberg. | watch
The psych-rockers just wanna jam and share their music with the world—is that so wrong? | read