Unguarded Moments from Dustin Pittman’s New York After Dark
The photographer talks to Richard Boch about his new book and exhibition of photographs on view at the Roxy Hotel.
Darkness and light tend to define everything we see, while after dark, regardless of the time or the times, can mean any number of things. Looking through the lens of a camera offers up a singular vision of light and dark, allowing the photographer to see more than what’s seen from a passing glance. All of this is especially true when the camera is in the hands of legendary photographer Dustin Pittman.
Pittman has seen it all, and taken photos of most of it. In a career that spans over fifty years—from a childhood in the northern reaches of Upstate New York to the Warhol Factory, from the madness of Max’s Kansas City to Studio 54 to the glam and glitz of the fashion world—he’s seen the bright lights and looked into the dark corners of New York City. Pittman’s current exhibition of photos at The Roxy Hotel is titled Unguarded Moments and acts as a companion to his book, Dustin Pittman’s New York After Dark, a vast collection of images of the places we’ve been, the faces we’ve seen and how they’ve come inform and define the here and now.
I’ve known Dustin Pittman since the days of late-night, early-morning adventures in clubland. Our friendship is a connection to that time as we continue to move through a city we know and love—a city that’s become a friend in the deepest sense. Over the years Dustin has taken thousands of images that have become a chronicle of his own life experience as well as a beautiful recollection of a city at work and at play. Collaborating with authors Roger and Mauricio Padilha, Pittman’s book deep dives into his personal archive and the result is a fascinating look at those never and rarely seen images, along with classic photos that established Dustin Pittman as a discerning eye in the storm of New York City nightlife. Living the life he photographed, he was not just a gun for hire or bystander, but an active participant in whatever scene, event or moment that would come to define his ability to see beyond what was merely in front of him.
I recently talked with Dustin about his process and the creative flow of working with the Padilha brothers while putting the book together. We talked about some of his favorite subjects like fashion and music and the people and places that continue to leave him with a lasting impression while making an indelible mark on the city itself. The images Pittman has chosen to present for Unguarded Moments at The Roxy Hotel, take us a step further, offering a beautiful and revealing look-back—while his eye and his camera remain focused on what’s happening next.
Calvin Klein Final Adjustments, NYC 1981; Keith Richards and Patti Hansen, The Ritz, NYC 1980
Richard Boch: Hi Dustin, It’s great to see that you have a new show of photographs at The Roxy Hotel. I know the place quite well and it’s a terrific way to give everyone a chance to see first-hand, a selection of photos from your new book, Dustin Pittman’s New York After Dark. The show itself has its own specific title and we’ll get to that in a minute, but first tell me about your connection to The Roxy.
Dustin Pittman: You know I’ve aways loved The Roxy. Going in there with friends—and just hanging out there is so cool—it’s such an incredible special space! Downstairs is where The Roxy Cinema is. The Mudd Club Auction (to benefit The Bowery Mission) happened downstairs too. Then there was your party at The Django room with Bush Tetras. The whole place is really unique, really exciting. But I guess my real connection started when a friend mentioned my name and my photography to the people who run The Roxy. They called me up even though didn’t really know about me—so I went to meet them and they were just blown away when I showed them my work. We all sort of wound up with the same focus on what was cool and that’s how my first exhibition there happened. Since then, everyone’s been great.
RB: Ok, so I really love that the new show is called Unguarded Moments. It’s perfect, and it speaks to both the subject matter as well as your ability to get up close and comfortable with the people and places you’ve photographed. Whether it was Liz Taylor or Diana Ross, Studio 54, Warhol’s Factory or Halston’s studio at Olympic Tower, you were right there. Tell me what that was like and how you felt—not only taking photos, but hanging out with what we could certainly call a group of heavy hitters.
DP: Well, it was really pretty incredible—but you know I appreciated and respected the person, the creative artist rather than the celebrity. The secret to me was to develop a friendship, respect and trust, to be able to sit down and talk. I learned so much from everyone—artists, musicians, painters, designers—all the creative tribes. And I didn’t get stuck. I moved from one tribe to another, I didn’t get stuck at CBGB or Max’s or Studio 54, I was always moving—uptown, downtown, places I was passionate about, places where I could participate. That’s why and how my photos are special to me because I wasn’t just hanging out being a photographer—I was a participant. It didn’t matter if it was Halston or Calvin Klein, the Hamptons, Fire Island or a club in the city, whoever or wherever, sometimes I didn’t even take a picture and just had a conversation. People respected that.
Diana Vreeland, NYC, 1979; Dianne Dewit, Paris, 1983
RB: It’s amazing to me how a kid with a camera from Upstate New York, wanders around the city and finds himself deep in the mix of a cultural revolution that includes art, music, film and fashion. I get it but here’s my question—how did you keep your cool and prevent your head from exploding? I have my own answer to that question but I’m more than a little curious to hear yours.
DP: You know, when you’re participating in something you believe in, whether it’s the first Gay Liberation March, the Women’s Rights March or shooting incredible artists and designers in their studios or ateliers or even shooting in the clubs, I’m thinking about the community around me and the creativity around me. It’s easy because that’s what’s beautiful to me, what’s important to me, it’s how I grew up—shooting my family and my friends, my animals, my cows and chickens. Then going to New York City and shooting all the different people and the different scenes—seeing people forming their identities, it’s free flowing and that’s what I love—it’s my passion.
RB: Let’s move into the present, as a number of your photos are now hanging on the walls of The Roxy Hotel. Hundreds more are in the book, Dustin Pittman’s New York After Dark, your collaboration with the authors and Pop Culture connoisseurs, Roger and Mauricio Padilha. What was it like working with those guys and how did they convince you that they were right for the job?
DP: We all sat down together and you know my archive is very guarded but I’ve known Roger and MAO (Mauricio) for maybe twenty-five years and we’ve hung out—lunches, dinners, backstage at fashion shows, all that. I knew them and I knew their other books (notably The Stephen Sprouse Book) and even though they weren’t around as long as I’ve been shooting, they loved the time period and they understood the time period. So, they were able to go through my images from downtown and uptown New York and put them together like pieces of a puzzle. I wanted it raw and gritty and black and white—I didn’t want it to be like a chapter on this and a chapter on that—I really wanted it be a mix of real time, real people and real friends. The book became a labor of love for all three of us.
David Johansen, St Valentine’s Day Massacre, NYC 1974; Madonna Danceteria NYC 1979
RB: The level of promotion and the number of events that have been put together for the book and now for The Roxy event—it’s incredible and it’s all been very well done. Besides that, there’s so much talent and personality that appears to be all in—even Iggy Pop, the multi-talented wild man of Rock graces the cover, while David Johansen, the singer, songwriter and actor wrote the intro—and now, here I am asking you all these questions. Everyone loves you Dustin—how does that make you feel?
DP: Well, they either love me or hate me (LOL) but you know—and this may sound cliché-ish— but there’s love in my heart. There always has been and when I go out and take pictures that’s what it’s all about—love! So, I guess that maybe comes back to me. And you know I go out almost every night and take photographs not just of people performing or on stage but of people hanging out and watching. Like taking photos of new bands playing in clubs and maybe only twenty-five people are there, and they don’t know me, and I don’t let on that I shot this or that for Vogue or W or The NYTimes. Whether it was a young band like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who were starting out as part of the late-nineties Rock revival or the whole street thing with young designers like Off White—I thought well this is different and I respected them and they respected me. And then, I guess the universe just told me—it’s the right time to do a book.
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Unguarded Moments
Photographs by Dustin Pittman at The Roxy Hotel
Oct 22, 2024 through December 2024
Dustin Pittman’s New York After Dark
Dustin Pittman, Roger Padilha, Mauricio Padilha
Published by Rizzoli
September 2024
INTERVIEW: Richard Boch
FEATURED IMAGE: Pat Cleveland and Halstonettes, NYC 1980, courtesy of Dustin Pittman
Richard Boch writes GrandLife’s New York Stories column and is the author of The Mudd Club, a memoir recounting his time as doorman at the legendary New York nightspot, which doubled as a clubhouse for the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Debbie Harry and Talking Heads among others. To hear about Richard’s favorite New York spots for art, books, drinks, and more, read his Locals interview—here.