“There is a lot of cynicism about finding love in NYC,” writes Montreal-born artist Erica Reade. The Brooklyn transplant’s work focuses on Rockaway Beach, where she photographs the limb-entwined intimacy between lovers lazing about on the sand and in the surf. The black-and-white format evokes a nostalgic, endless-summer romance amid the city’s hustle and bustle. “People from all walks of life descend upon the city’s shorelines to enjoy sunny days and salty nights. We are raw and exposed on the beach, stripped of our clothes, our makeup, our status markers,” Reade states. Her photos find tenderness in gestures — sunscreen-soaked hands on a back, an arm cradling a lover’s head, a wet embrace barely visible in the distance. See more of Reade’s Beach Lovers series in our gallery, and follow her Instagram for more artwork.
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: Swept Away, Rockaway Beach 2016
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: Spring is Here, Rockaway Beach, 2016
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: In Heels, Rockaway Beach, 2015
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: The Kiss, Fort Tilden Beach, 2015
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: Silhouette, Fort Tilden Beach, 2015
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: On Top, Rockaway Beach, 2015
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: Young, Rockaway Beach, 2015
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: Sunscreen, Rockaway Beach , 2015
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: Wet Embrace, Fort Tilden Beach, 2015
©Erica Reade, Beach Lovers: The Voyeur, Rockaway Beach, 2015