White Smoke, Brown Glare

The series of photographs White Smoke, Brown Glare (2024) explores the city of promised dreams and how these promises of success often remain out of reach. The artist spent a month at an art residency in New York City, the urban jungle that never sleeps, using his camera to capture its pulse. His photographs belong to the tradition of documentary and street photography but with a distinct personal touch. The series observes the inhabitants’ pursuit of the American Dream while reflecting on the artist’s own experience through diary notes, thoughts, and haikus written in charcoal directly on gallery walls. His photographs witness the rather positive aspects of brutal gentrification and stratification of the city; one of the few weapons against its hyper-capitalistic rhythm are strong communities that provide belonging and shelter. The photographs reveal the city’s fabric, where harshness and warmth intertwine; they capture moments when people resist inequality, showing how small communities enable survival and preserve humanity in a demanding environment. Neubauer documents everyday life, blending individual experience with broader social reality. The city becomes both a stage for ambition and a space where challenge meets hope, mirroring brutality and compassion.