This exhibit presents the work of photographer John Milisenda.
"Dennis, Rose, and Sal: Family Portraits" is
the culmination of more than 35 years of work by the Brooklyn
photographer, whose primary subjects are his mother Rose, his
late father Sal, and brother Dennis. Milisenda's photographs
illuminate the universality of complex familial interactions while
depicting the love and special struggles that his family experienced
due to Dennis's developmental disability. Milisenda's
black-and-white photos strike a balance between darkness and light,
projecting feelings of both closeness and isolation.
"Milisenda's images resonate because they are an intimate
portrait of a New York family," says exhibition curator
Dr. Joseph Sciorra, Assistant Director for Academic and Cultural
Programs at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute. Sciorra
believes these photos will reverberate for many viewers because
of their "intimate objectivity."
Milisenda's Dennis, Rose, and Sal: Family Portraits demonstrates
the universal nature of family life and relationships through a
portrait of specific Italian Americans' lives during the late 20th
century. Since 1969, John Milisenda's photographs have been included
in 125 exhibitions. His images are in many collections, including
the Museum of Modern Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the
Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
His photographs have also appeared in numerous publications,
including
Smithsonian,
The New York Times, and
Photo District News.
In 1988, he received a National Endowment of the Arts award and
in 1991, he was a Henry Cartier award finalist and a Ruttenberg
award finalist. He received a BFA in Photography, with honors,
from Pratt Institute in 1975. Milisenda has taught courses on
basic photography, photographic chemistry, and the Ansel Adams
Zone System at the New School, the Parsons School of Design, and
Drexel University. Milisenda, a resident of Brooklyn, is
currently researching his paternal ancestors' history in
the Lower East Side and Racalmuto (Agrigento),
Sicily.
John Milisenda is represented by the Stephen Cohen Gallery.
Exhibition Curator: Dr. Joseph Sciorra
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