Albert Maysles And Peter Sutherland At Thirty Days Gallery

There’s something that always rings more sincere about one artist interviewing another. This was the idea behind Interview Magazine, and was also an inspiration for Tuesday night’s dialogue at the Thirty Days Pop-Up between photographer Peter Sutherland and visionary filmmaker Albert Maysles (of Grey Gardens fame).

Sutherland, who is known for capturing his dynamic subjects within a single frame, questioned Maysles on what fuels him to choose his muses- who have ranged from The Beatles to Cuban citizens during the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution- and what fuels his unique visions and (often) purposefully over extended scenes.

While in recent years there has been some talk of the Maysles  brother’s “exploitation” of their subjects (often in reference to showcasing the squalid living conditions of the Beale’s in Grey Gardens), Mr. Maysles was quick to point out that his subjects often  thank him for allowing their stories to be heard. In addition to his avuncular humor and quick wit, Maysles’ empathy for the plight, hopes, and dreams of his participants shone through, and you could sense a genuine caring on part of Maysles- who was also one of the first to chronicle the life of the average family in communist Russia.

When asked what he most regretted over his expansive career, Maysles barely batted an eyelash before delving into the story of how he had been at the Chinese Embassy with Fidel Castro when he received a telegram from the US State Department- declaring they had just broken off relations with Cuba. Maysles, caught off guard without a camera, still laments his inability to capture one of the most important events in US Foreign Policy of the 20th century. However, one wonders in this modern age of iPhones and ubiquitous Internet access if it would be possible to ever miss a second of world history and transversely-  if an important world leader would still offer this kind of unfettered media access in the age of twitter and Facebook.

Thirty Days Pop-Up