The News Stand

During a cold bikeride in Athens center,
Omonoia Square at 00.39 at 1st night of 2009 .

Omonoia square has news stands that remain open 24 hours a day.
Next day's newspapers can be bought late at night.
People gather around the news stands and talk about next day's headlines, sometimes untill the morning comes.

Dedicated to D'Artagnan (!Eliza-mac)
and my fellow musketeers (!stuartperry & !damien-c)




EDIT 18th February 2009
A fellow deviant from Albuquerque-USA, Tracey Dahl
saw my picture and wrote a wonderful essay about it: [link]

"GRECIAN NEWS
There is a photograph in the far reaches of the Internet that I often day dream about. I study its black and white composure and dream of traveling. I dream of happening upon this late night sanctuary of a new stand, nestled in the community of Athens. I observe the men and the dog uniting there, discussing the world events. I can't help but to believe in humanity again, to see that business hasn't gotten in the way of community. That communal essence of a city will bring us together again.
As night envelopes the city, and tucks the rest of Greece in, there is a newsstand open at all hours, steeped in culture and community. Athenian men gather here to get the daily news the night before. The freshly printed newspapers are piled haphazardly a top of one another. The table has a vexatious bend in the middle, slightly buckling under the weight of yesterdays sorrows. It is simply poetic. The harsh glow of unadulterated light bulbs illuminates the evening in reality, highlights the business of these men. Speaking with one another and reading newspapers, enjoying the late night glow, these are all here. A dog stands behind its owner, ever loyal, and wags its tail in the prospect of meeting strangers. The men in the corner acknowledge the dog, wry, boyhood smiles overwhelm their wrinkled faces. The shadows are as diverse as the men, yet not as old. It is comforting to know that the sunset will not change all things.
This picture was taken on January 1st, 2009, a time when the entire world is in a whirlpool of turmoil. The invasion of Gaza is on everyone's mind, as well as the pending nature of the economy. Its hard to imagine the Greek headlines. The prospect of war is familiar to this country's past, the familiarity must be haunting. The Christmas lights hung on the window are a stark contrast to the printed content, piled below. These men here are strangers, but they gather for a single need for information.
The Internet has widely made printed newspapers obsolete, there is so much data coming in daily, its hard to organize what is important. The simple beauty of a news stand is the fact that this information is patient. This information is for those with minds to digest slowly and react in haste. These men are patient in a tumultuous world, the upheaval of so many ideas are here, discussed between strangers becoming friends. It is the re birthing of Socratic Method. Ideas evolving in a public arena, as informal as a news stand is, is quintessential to us all.
This photograph is organic. It is old men uprooting new ideas, turning street corners into congress. Communities have been built upon this. Your opinion is relevant as long as you make it known, your words will be heard here. Late night discussion have written constitutions and created nations. This news stand turns men into boys and back again, simply because, under this harsh light, they are raw and exposed. They are humbled by dogs and Christmas lights and emblazoned in ink from wet newspapers. This community is organic, holding in their hands, the world's yesterdays and tomorrows. Community will hold it all together and bring it all back."
I thank her from the depths of my heart and wish her the best for her life