Francesca Magnani is an Italian writer and photographer living in Brooklyn. The weekend that Governor Cuomo declared the New York State “pause,” due to Covid-19, the project, ”On the Stoop,” was born. The series is shot with a Leica Q.
Francesca says about her project, “As the streets emptied, stoops became an extension of the indoor space - it’s like a living room came out - to my eyes a mix of inside and outside. The stoops allow for socialization - at 6 feet distance and some kind of community building. Being Italian, the steps remind me of the function balconies have in my home country at this time. The stoop is a hybrid of public and private, it is a New York City staple, and right now it presents a solution to housebound Brooklynites.”
Siblings exercise outside, both wearing red, Brooklyn, April 14, 2020
A man plays the guitar while his daughter dances to the music, Brooklyn, April 15, 2020
A woman waters her plants and tells me the English word for annaffiatoio, Brooklyn, April 18, 2020
Friends catch up, keeping the distance, Brooklyn, April 4, 2020
On my birthday, a man celebrates with a beer under a blooming tree, Brooklyn, April 11, 2020
A girl runs up the stairs to join her mother and sister in the photograph, May 14, 2020
A dog is people-watching, April 24, 2020
A man enjoys the sun while reading the paper, Brooklyn, April 4, 2020
Mysterious garden, Brooklyn, April 23, 2020
A man tells me the tree is his baby and looks away, May 5, 2020