King, Queen, Knave by Gregory Halpern

What can a city reveal when viewed through the eyes of someone who grew up there, but still finds it full of mystery and contradiction?

Over two decades, Gregory Halpern has been photographing in and around his hometown of Buffalo, New York, meticulously crafting a series that forms his latest monograph, *King, Queen, Knave*. This collection presents an idiosyncratic vision of a city caught in its contradictions, resisting the familiar narratives of post-industrial decline and embracing a reality that borders on surrealism.

Halpern’s mesmerizing sequence unfolds like a stage, where distinct and unpredictable characters appear amid solitary buildings, snowdrifts, and sun-bleached scenes of everyday transcendence. His images situate their subjects within the specificity of the seasons, balancing a historical perspective with the immediacy of moments captured in their radiant singularity.

By embracing themes of reversal and ascension, Halpern grapples with the complexities of both his birthplace and contemporary America, finding beauty intertwined with ugliness, and redemption tangled with despair. This lyrical work stands as a testament to the endless complexity of a place that remains, even after all these years, both familiar and unknown.