Wonderland: Brooklyn 2007- 2023 - Hardcover

Valery Rizzo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 396900215X ISBN 13: 9783969002155

Publisher: Kehrer Verlag, 2025

Synopsis

Wonderland. Brooklyn 2007–2023 offers an intimate portrait of the borough at a pivotal moment, when new and old began to collide and coexist. Through native Brooklynite Valery Rizzo’s lens and the vibrant, distinctive aesthetics of toy cameras and medium-format film, the series preserves the area’s bold and rebellious spirit as it undergoes change.
Founded in 1634 by Dutch settlers and named after the town of Breukelen near Utrecht, Brooklyn began as a small settlement across the East River from New Amsterdam. It grew into the largest town in Kings County and eventually became an independent city: standing on its own until its incorporation into New York City in 1898. Since the 1990s, the borough has experienced rapid gentrification, reshaping its character and demographics. Between 2007 and 2023, Valery Rizzo documented its residents, encapsulating the neighborhood’s vibrant spirit and everchanging identity as it shifted in shape, color, and energy.
Capturing moments of everyday life through a viewfinder few would take seriously, Rizzo uses an unconventional lens to get close to her subjects, offering an almost voyeuristic perspective. The images feel intimate and familiar, like snapshots taken by a family member, revealing private gestures and fleeting moments with warmth and immediacy.

About this title

About the Author

Valery Rizzo is a Brooklyn-based commercial and editorial photographer. Her work has been exhibited extensively across the globe and are part of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Archives and the Permanent Collection of the Museum of the City of New York. Wonderland. Brooklyn 2007–2023 marks Rizzo’s second photobook.

Edition details

• Publisher: Kehrer Verlag
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 396900215X
• ISBN 13: 9783969002155
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128