Photographer Jan Staller has released a new book titled "Manhattan Project," featuring photographs of construction materials—pipes, beams, rebar, and drill bits—suspended midair against white skies. The book marks a shift from his earlier moody night photography to a hard-edged focus on utilitarian objects, transforming New York City's construction sites into otherworldly, readymade-like visions. The book includes a foreword by Neil deGrasse Tyson and an essay by curator Brett Littman, with images spanning locations across the Upper West Side.
This book matters because it continues Staller's decades-long exploration of humanity's impact on the landscape, finding aesthetic and philosophical meaning in the hidden innards of urban infrastructure. By isolating construction elements against blank skies, Staller elevates mundane industrial materials to the status of art, prompting viewers to reconsider the beauty and hubris embedded in the built environment. The work also engages with art-historical references, from Richard Serra to Chris Burden, situating Staller's photography within broader conversations about sculpture, minimalism, and the urban condition.