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Published: Dec 4, 2007

Shadow World

Opening reception Fri., Dec. 7, 6-9:30 p.m., exhibit runs through Jan. 20, Bambi Gallery, 1817 Frankford Ave., 215-423-2668, bambiproject.com

(CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

As the teeming multitudes shuttle from Point A to Point B throughout the day and night, what of the people who dwell on the line between them? In the case of the folks living beneath the Frankford El tracks, time may not quite stand still, but it's certainly left far behind by the trains that rumble by overhead.

Over the past year, artist and filmmaker David S. Kessler has been documenting the stories of the area's denizens on his often fascinating video blog, Shadow World (undertheel.blogspot.com), some of which will be showcased in this installation at Bambi Gallery. Kessler first became aware of this colorful underworld during the production of his documentary If You Break the Skin, You Must Come In, which premièred earlier this year at the First Person Festival. That film focused on photographer Zoe Strauss, who annually exhibits her work beneath an I-95 underpass, giving her access to people who normally don't cross paths with the arts world.

Kessler began interviewing shop owners and front-stoop sitters beneath the El's path along North Front Street and Kensington Avenue. In the process he's found a community full of people used to — and unconcerned by — the world passing them by. It's not uncommon for his subjects to be able to claim a birthright to the spot on which they stand, traced back for generations.