Tom Wood at Thomas Erben Gallery: Chelsea Photography Opening

The carefully considered streetwise color photographs by Tom Wood at Thomas Erben Gallery straddle both documentary and conceptual photography worlds. At first glance, they appear to be a cousin to another British photographer, Martin Parr, who also around the same time was capturing similar subjects, and was traversing similar photographic territory.

But Tom Wood’s work, which is less known here in the US than in the UK or Europe, has a nuanced difference between the more “pop” work of Mr. Parr, for example.  Wood’s photographs offer a glimpse into a world where he–and thus us, as viewers–is comfortable in.  This look at lower middle class is presented more as a comrade rather than with a wink.

This, I think, makes the work more accessible and presents the work not as a study of “the other,” but rather as a look at people living their lives, just as we do.

A note on Thomas Erben, the galleriest.  Its pleasant to talk to a dealer that seems to so completely understand both the artist’s work, as well as the history of photography, and “gets it.”

Please see the show of Tom Wood’s photographs at Thomas Erben Gallery, now through July 22, 2013 at 526 West 26th Street.