Esteemed multimedia artist Marie Tomanova is releasing her second book titled New York New York (Hatje Cantz, 2021), this month. With a foreword by musician Kim Gordon, New York New York captures the lives of New York City, and the freedom of youth combined with the mythic pull of the urban space. 

Shot completely by the Czech-born photographer, the photos in the book portray what it’s like to discover oneself in the city. Merging the genres of landscape and portrait, Tomanova reveals the New York City that she is immersed in, bringing to life the point of view that it offers an opportunity like no other.

With images varying from close-up headshots with muses boasting soft smiles and elated moments to sultry stares, the portraits of the book essentially capture a special moment in time for each subject. Subtle New York symbols also peek in the background of these photos, whether it being the facades of buildings along the street, the skyline along the river, or the ceilings of a subway car.

“Marie’s book is a celebration of that young community,” says Kim Gordan. “You don’t mind struggling for rent and food because you feel alive in the city. This was not really my early ’80s NY, I was already old, twenty-seven. I had anxiety about the art world […] In this collection of exuberant photos Marie captures the inside look, as it is now, being “cool” is accessible to all, a New York kind of democracy.” 

Evoking a special portrayal of Tomanova’s own journey settling in the city and finding her own way, the images in New York New York evoke that feeling of discovering oneself in the setting of a sprawling city. The book focuses on a dream or motivation, and allows you to immerse yourself in the dreams the city may hold for you.

New York New York is launching at Dashwood Books on Sept. 29, and is followed by Tomanova’s solo exhibition at C24 Gallery in Chelsea opening on Oct. 7.