The Lardner Report

(Pic #1) Ormond Gigli and his historic “Girls in the Windows” photograph, 1960.

I don’t know how I missed this one, but I love the story behind it.

To me, this doll house looking photograph represents the best example of extraordinary conceptual art. And according to my husband (a super gifted photographer), there are two ways of looking at a subject. His way is to see something and document the moment.  Another artist — like Ormond Gigli — sees something and, aided by imagination, creates a fresh new world.

The photo above was shot on Manhattan’s upper east side in 1960.  It shows forty women posing in the window frames of a brownstone about to be demolished on toney East 58th Street.

So how is this picture considered conceptual art? According to the Tate Museum, “When an artist creates a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair.”

The preparation and coordination that went into this image was staggering — and Gigli created it for himself without an assignment — just to remember a bygone era. It was a massive undertaking under crazy deadlines: the building was to be demolished in two days. Ormond needed to secure forty models in stylish colorful dresses, permission from the demolition crews, the repair of a huge hole in the sidewalk, and a deal for a loaner Rolls Royce to be parked out front.

The mastery — and the art —  emerges from the collaboration and cooperation with the city and the community. The relationship is not unlike the installation work of world famous artist Christo, who spent months befriending dairy farmers out west to gain support for his “Running Fences” project.  It was about the partnership first — outcome, second.

Meanwhile, many photography specialists in NYC agree that this photo is in fact the highest-grossing photo ever shot. But the intrigue doesn’t stop there. The story goes that the demolition supervisor said he would allow the shoot provided it included his wife in the photo: she stands on the third floor, third from left.  And Ormond’s wife poses on the second floor, far right, in pink.