By Andrew J. Hathaway Andy Levin is a veteran photojournalist for countless publications. Documenting this peculiar landmark in the American psyche has been visually and personally fulfilling for Levin. A canvas rich with colorful personalities, Coney Island is the perfect setting for Levin's trademark lyrical portraits. When asked about the photographs though, it becomes clear that Coney Island is only a background, and that the true subject of his story is human nature itself.
Coney Island is the excuse for the pictures.
What I wanted to do was get to something else, something more universal and abstract. Many of Levin's photographs have this universal appeal because they depict humanity and the magic of being alive. But to represent humanity accurately, he must show both the good and the bad. And he admits that not all his photos are so nice. There's something funny about how small she is and how she's out of the water, as a mermaid.