Collection No. 2 InTributeTo Jonathan Tzvi Rahmani

InTributeTo is pleased to present Collection No. 2 InTributeTo photographer Jonathan Tzvi Rahmani. Rahmani grew up in rural Iowa the son of a commercial Photographer. As children often do, he rebelled from his father’s precedent never considering photography as a career path. Rahmani moved to Brooklyn in his early 20s to pursue a career in graphic design.

After re-locating to San Francisco in 2014, his interest in photography re-emerged as he began to experiment with photography in the striking landscapes of Northern California. Unlike the compactness of New York, he spent weekends in the open horizons of the outdoors. He hiked through fields and forests, exploring his love of light in an environment abundant with sun and sky. In the fall of 2014, Rahmani took a solitary month-long trip to Japan. This trip marked a time of introspection, leading to a pursuit of photography with a new sense of purpose.

Collection No.2 InTributeTo Jonathan Tzvi Rahmani marks Rahmani’s first exhibition as a fine art photographer. His work reflects a journalistic approach capturing the quiet, candid moments of the everyday including a selection of 12 photographs taken in both Japan and the West Coast of the United States. The collection represents his life after New York, and marks the brave step of proclaiming himself an Artist.

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Japan Series

Rahmani’s month long trip to Japan in the Fall of 2014 acted as the catalyst for his pursuit of photography as an art form. His optimistic outlook for the future can be seen in the bright outdoor lighting and peaceful color scheme in this series, including the photograph of a figure holding a map on top of a foggy mountain. As the showcase image announcing the exhibition, this piece captures a hope for the future and an intention of a plan, amidst a foggy surrounding.

The Japan series also shows Rahmani’s role as a quiet observer. The journalistic style is unobtrusive, shot from afar or taken through a window, showing a respect for his subjects. The images capture the Japanese concept of Ma used in art and architecture roughly translating to negative space, the pause or gap between two parts and in this case the moments before, between, or following unseen events when nothing in-particular is happening. Rahmani brings forward the beauty of these moments of the everyday often capturing a moment of peace, solitude, or meditative diligence. He focuses on the working class, giving honor to the tasks of ordinary people, infusing the exhibition with an appreciation of humanity.

In continuation of this perspective, as requested by the artist, all proceeds from the 6 pieces photographed in Japan shown at the exhibition will benefit the Kumamoto Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

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West Coast Series

Rahmani’s photographs from the West Coast continue to explore the notion of the ordinary person in the everyday. The two nature photographs provide a transition, mirroring the compositions of the Japan images. In comparison, this series captures the vibrancy of San Francisco using a more saturated color palette and high contrast lighting. The street photography frames a multitude of eclectic people, reflecting the loud consolidated nature of urban living. In one image, a woman is captured boarding a bus, the light illuminating her face in light and shadow, elevating an everyday moment into something that feels cinematic.

This series also exemplifies Rahmani’s ability to capture complex facial expression. In one showpiece of expression, Rahmani depicts a man rolling himself over a hot air balloon before packing it up, his face contorted in a tangle of emotions.

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$450, SHOP NOW

$150, SHOP NOW

Statement from the Artist

Like the corn and soybeans, I grew in Iowa. The son of a Midwestern mother and a middle-eastern father. I was a middle child between two brothers and a sister. Our home was covered in images of our lives, with cameras and film lying on tables, desks, and chairs. For me, photography was commonplace. For my father it was a way to contribute to the future of his family while documenting its present.

Never seriously considering photography myself, I grew into my life as a designer. To me, photography was work, or it was art. I wasn’t an artist, and I didn’t want to live my father’s life. In the fall of 2014, I spent a month in Japan. I spent days walking through cities, staring out train windows, and hiking up mountains. I camped by rivers, alpine lakes, and on the boulders where a glacier once lived. I saw this trip as an opportunity to push myself and my use of photography. The images I’m sharing in this show are one part myself, and one part a people and place very outside of myself. My time in Japan was inspirational and the catalyst for a shift in point of view.

I brought this point of view to my new home in California. Like my father did with our family, I now use photography to habitually document the moments of my life. Through the process of seeking and collecting these images I can better understand where I live and what matters to me. Through this art, I can present a part of myself and the places I love and call home.

—Jonathan Tzvi Rahmani

Exhibition Space

Collection No. 2 InTributeTo Jonathan Tzvi Rahmani launched with an opening exhibition at Glasshouse Art Life Lab in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “We chose bold pieces of Rahmani’s work for this collection, daring and distinctive from the nature photography he is known for. We selected Glasshouse because the minimal surroundings complimented the work, and the space had an intimate feeling suitable for Rahmani’s first show. The crisp white walls and cool-toned lighting reflected the colors in the photographs, and some of the architectural details such as the stairs in the space, complimented the graphic geometry in his work. We held the event in Brooklyn where Jonathan once lived, and a place that means a lot to him. It was a homecoming of sorts for him.” from InTributeTo Creative Director Kelsey Hannah Walsh.

The space also reflected the duality of the collection. The first floor was utilized as the main gallery space, a bright minimal environment reflecting the Japanese portion of the collection. The work was hung simply and humbly complimented with white cubes holding small plants and objects. The downstairs provided a contrasting mood, with a darker confined environment. Guests were physically closer to each other and the lighting was significantly darker with pops of neon color, a reflection of the West Coast series.

The atmosphere included a backdrop of music selected in collaboration with Rahmani and InTributeTo Art Director Alicia Adamerovich. Selections intermixed casual melancholic songs with upbeat electronic music, strong baselines, and influences from funk and jazz. The full playlist can be found on the InTributeTo Spotify.

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Collection No. 2 InTributeTo Jonathan Tzvi Rahmani

Japan Series

West Coast Series

Statement from the Artist

Exhibition Space

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