It’s been 50 years since photographer Neil Slavin began traveling across the United States to document the nation’s diverse and often bizarre group gatherings. To commemorate this anniversary, a new edition of this body of work, When Two Or More are Gathered Together, has been published.
Slavin’s themes, he writes, “affirm the joy of being together rather than apart” and reveal the different ways people find common ground. A wide range of people from society are depicted, including bingo players, stockbrokers, housemaids, and grave diggers. Some groups, such as the Tall Social Club, invite normalcy to its limits. Some share their passions, from penny-farthing bicycles to bodybuilding.
Slavin prefers to pose his subjects as he wishes, bringing natural hierarchies and group dynamics to the fore. “I watch people jockey for position, sticking their shoulders out in front of the next person, smiling broadly, while others retreat into the background, waiting for something bigger, So it’s just about being part of a group,” he writes. Book.
When the first images were published in 1976, the book was a breakthrough in demonstrating the potential of the new medium of color photography. Now 54 photos have been added, some taken in 2023, which feel particularly relevant as a celebration of Slavin’s sense of togetherness in an increasingly individualistic digital age. Masu. Here are eight highlights from this book.
