At Your Door: The Doormen of New York City by Alina Gozin’a

AT YOUR DOOR: The Doormen of New York City captures a quintessential aspect of New York and in particular, the world-famous doorman culture. It also reflects photographer Alina Gozin’a’s lifelong interest in telling the stories of people without a voice. The city’s doormen are the gatekeepers to Manhattan’s elite. Doormen typically know the most personal details and well-guarded secrets of their tenants. Yet rarely are they really seen or their own stories shared.

© Alina Gozin’a
© Alina Gozin’a

The exhibition features 13 large-scale El-Greco-inspired portraits of 13 doormen – all immigrants from Eastern Europe, looking poised and regal. The artist has added a 19th-century cravat to each of the doormen’s uniforms. The cravat is a nod to the men’s European heritage and also portrays them as men of nobility – not just servicemen to New York’s elite.

© Alina Gozin’a
© Alina Gozin’a

Gozin’a has captured the men first in their doormen uniform, and then wearing their civilian clothes. This juxtaposition creates an intricate reveal to prompt the viewer to ask which one reflects their ‘truer’ self. The intent of the image is to peel off the facade of these anonymous men in uniform, and reveal them as who they really are. Real men with real stories and personalities. The series also raises questions around the necessity of this role. Is it an old-world profession steeped in charm and tradition or the outdated whims of the powerful and privileged?

© Alina Gozin’a
© Alina Gozin’a
© Alina Gozin’a
© Alina Gozin’a

The artist has long been interested in capturing the extremes of society; those either bathing in the sunlight of success or the invisible people in the shadows. This documentary project captures these everyday men with the same painterly style and studio lighting she usually reserves for film stars and politicians. In this regard, her work can be compared with iconic photographers of our time such as Richard Avedon whose famed documentary work also captured both extremes of society.

© Alina Gozin’a
© Alina Gozin’a
© Alina Gozin’a
© Alina Gozin’a

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July

Perth: From 31 May – 28 Sept 2025. Featuring 85 works from three major series – Deep Springs, Overpass, and Cross Country – the exhibition spans twelve years of Contis’s evolving photographic practice.

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

Sydney: 15 May – 19 October. Showcasing 100 incredible images, this remarkable exhibition offers a window into the astonishing variety of life on our planet – and the critical importance of preserving it.

August

Leica Store Gallery in both Sydney & Melbourne present a unique photographic dialogue between Steve McCurry and Jessie Brinkman Evans. Until late October.

Ballarat: 23 August – 19 October 2025. This year’s theme is Lifeforce, and it ties into an eight-week program of exhibitions, public art, talks, and workshops across more than 100 venues throughout Ballarat.

September

Melbourne: until 9 November. Man Ray and Max Dupain is the first major Australian exhibition to consider these two influential 20th century photographers side by side.

Melbourne: 13 September – 9 November 2025. Featuring selected finalists for the 2025 William & Winifred Bowness Photography Prize.

October

Melbourne: Oct 31 – Nov 6. Chimera is a photographic investigation into the shifting landscape of beauty in the age of artificial intelligence and social media.