From the DavidZwirner Gallery Press Release:
“Douglas’s midcentury alter-ego revokes the career of the legendary photographer Arthur Fellig, also known as Weegee (1899-1968). Self-taught, Weegee typically photographed at night, always using the same heavy camera, exposure time and flash; he is particularly known for his documentation of the New York nightscape in the years surrounding the Second World War.”

This is how my dictionary defines revoke: “To nullify by canceling or reversing: annul.”
Of course I wouldn’t know what to think with out a good press release (and journalists who merely parrot press releases), nevertheless, it seems to me that these photographs, although they “allow for several storylines to develop” and “seem to represent something else” and are “sufficiently vague to allow for various possible narratives” and “seem to denote a mysterious plot unfolding” and “the work becomes self-referential” do not nullify by canceling or reversing the career of Weegee.

Perhaps Stan and Dave are right… The photographs do have an “unexpected, uncanny dimension” (like this vague, mysterious, self- referential photograph, of course Weegee made a very similar photograph 70 years ago). Well, at least vintage equipment was used…
For $30,000 – $50,000 you too can nullify by canceling or reversing the career of Weegee.

Stan Douglas, Burlap, 1948, 2010

Weegee, [Body under a blanket], ca. 1942, from Unknown Weegee, p. 71

(to be continued…)

Mayor Fiorello La Guardia

“Gelatin silver photograph. Ferrotype print. Annotated ‘no.9’ in ink on print margin recto. ‘Credit Weegee’ stamp on verso. approx. 13 x 10.5 inches”

Sold for $500
01/29/2011
ca. 1941