HANA MENDEL
Originally titled “Ode to Diaspora Jew,” this image, featured in New York Magazine’s “The War in Gaza and New York” Issue, shows Yosef Itzkowitz concealing his kippa with a baseball hat. The NYMag issue was considered for the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism 2024 and won Merit Honor from the 2024 ADC Awards in the category of PhotoJournalism. Additionally, his image was on display in the Jerusalem Biennale 2024 as part of the Havurah Group Show, Tzimtzum.
The Wall Street Journal | My Ride
“A Rally Race in Morocco Led Her to This Rare Land Rover”
Published: 07-01-23
“A Rally Race in Morocco Led Her to This Rare Land Rover”
Published: 07-01-23
Concept sketches
Process: This was my first assignment for The New Yorker and is a favorite. I was emailed a draft of the story and asked to draw up concepts. The winner of which can be seen above.
I created final image in four steps:
- Photograph base image.
- Print base image.
- Layer print with filth and place on scanner bed.
- Scan, clean up, voila.
The base image was taken of my best friend’s hands in her bathroom (thanks, Morgan <3). Both she and bathroom were pre-approved by The New Yorker’s Fact Check team to ensure accuracy with the story (yes, even fiction is fact-checked).
Concept sketches
Process: When I was emailed this piece, my instinct was to ask how I had been pigeon-holed into bathroom-themed fiction (re: Listening for the Click). The story centers around some rodent-themed moments. I sketched a few options from scenes that stood out, and the team preferred the plunger best.
Many hours were spent researching how to acquire a convincing rat tail (including, but not limited to taxidermy and preserved lab specimens.. which I learned are not shipped residentially, which is a good thing). Luckily, there was a man deep in Etsy committed to the art of realistic faux rat-making. I chose two color options, titled “Brown“ and “Plague”.
I took the image of the plunger, printed it, and placed it on a pizza box with a hole ripped in the center. I did this so that when the print laid flat on the box, the rat could be placed beneath the box and the tail could be fed through the hole in the box, through the slice made in the print. Thus, the print was still laying flat when rephotographed for the final visual.