Sydney photographer George Fetting hit the streets of New York March last year with his trusty Mamiya 7 rangefinder camera and a $50 plastic Chinese made Holga camera to produce his fourth solo show – NYC RETURN.

A collection of street images as well as portraits ranging from NYC subways to Coney Island make up a series of large format colour pictures that hold a wealth of detail.
“Through my slightly restrained style of photography I like the thought of the viewer taking a little time to study the works and maybe the subtle messages they evoke” - George Fetting.

NYC Return is a body of work that attempts to explore aspects of American life - specifically life in New York City.
Life in America is fundamentally forever changed since the catastrophe of 9/11 and subtleties of day to day life have permeated down to street level in peoples general attitudes to one another, street art, graffiti and of course the very divisive political climate which abounds.
This is particularly heart felt in NY itself the scene of the attacks, and although New Yorkers are reluctant to admit it the residue of fear is still apparent.

“I am ostensibly a traveller, a visitor, and as such I can see a city for what it is through my own eyes and perceptions. This series of pictures is a documentation of my own visions - the vibrancy, idiosyncrasies and social constructs of a unique collection of people who make up NYC. As a photographer, NY is such a vast and mutating subject one could easily shoot for a number of years [as some have actually done] and still have more to photograph. This is not what NYC Return is about. It is my trip the Big Apple – a collection of personal images, which I hope, portrays some honesty - a semblance of New Yorkers in New York and the city that defines them. Through my slightly restrained style of photography I like the thought of the viewer taking a little time to study the works and maybe the subtle messages they evoke – feelings which I think are common in all of us.” – George Fetting

Fettings’ own visual style has not evolved by accident – “I love the design of the everyday, suburban realism in some respects. To be able to frame an image that on first impressions may seem slightly mundane and to draw an aesthetic beauty through composition and a minimalist approach. Having a sense of humour too helps and hopefully this comes through in my images”.

Whilst there may be subtle political overtones in some images it is hard not to in some way interpret certain messages at street level – the US was smack bang in the middle of it’s own election race.
As a result political commentary and satire are everywhere to be seen.

This collection of pictures is however not specific to the phenomena of the overall ‘changes’ to be seen as a result of post 9/11, but a series of observations by Fetting as an outsider and photographer coming to terms with the NY environment and its people.

During his photographic career, Fetting has been awarded the following:

2004 2ND Hasselblad Masters – ‘Afghan Cemetery’

2004 Winner Photo District News – Best Website : www.fetting.com.au

2004 Selected for Josephine Uhlrick Memorial Portrait Prize – LEE LIN CHIN

2004 / 2005 Head On Alternative Portraits Michael Nagy Gallery - Sydney

2005 Masters of Fare - 2 x portraits – National Portrait Gallery Canberra

2005 Photojournalism double finalist - SPIDER BLACK & WHITE INTERNATIONAL AWARDS