Skaters, dancers, hustlers, boxers … Swiss photographer Willy Spiller prowled the streets of the Big Apple from 1977 to 1985.
Leroy in Harlem, 1984
Sunday Morning on Orchard Street, NY, 1980
Whether he focused his camera on subway rides, dancers at the legendary Studio 54 or hip-hop culture in the streets, Spiller captured many facets of a bygone world
Night Cruiser in Manhattan, 1983
In the process, Spiller combines his curiosity for his fellow human beings with an appreciation of the beauty of the banal in the world around him
A Train to Far Rockaway, 1978
His longtime friend and companion Paul Nizon once said: ‘I‘ve often asked myself what made Willy Spiller’s photography so forthright, so refreshing and so riveting’
Elevated Station 180 St, 1982
Nizon concluded: ‘I believe it’s a blend of unabashed curiosity and roguish complexity combined with a fraternal sense of compassion’
Grand Central Station, Subway
‘This isn‘t something you learn at school: it’s more a question of class, of predisposition, and ultimately of character’
72nd St Station West Side IRT Line, Subway, New York
‘Behind the swashbuckling, wheeler-dealing facade there’s a dreamer, a man hungry for life and beauty’
Lunch on Broadway, 1982
‘And that is the reason Spiller sides with humanity, which is just another way of saying that he has an innate love of mankind’
Gleason’s Gym, 1979
‘That is the way he sees things. He is driven by artistic energy’
Dancers, Studio 54, 1979
Willy Spiller lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland. He studied at Zurich University of Art and Design and gained experience in photography in Milan
A Train to Brighton Beach, 1977
His images have appeared in numerous European newspapers and magazines and he has received prizes for both his published and exhibited work
Edna on Wheels, 1979
Spiller’s photographs have featured in major exhibitions in Cairo, Milan, New York, Paris and Zurich
The article was adapted from theguardian.com.