CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 11/7/2025

Rizzoli Bookstore presents Reed Kelly, Zoe Friedman and George Kocis in conversation with Arthur Lubow on 'Rodney Smith: Photography between Real and Surreal'

Friday, November 7, from 6–8 PM, Rizzoli Bookstore will celebrate New York photographer Rodney Smith and his timeless, whimsical and resplendent world of photography. Photography critic and author Arthur Lubow will moderate a conversation between models Reed Kelly and Zoe Friedman and Staley-Wise Gallery director George Kocis about the new book, Rodney Smith: Photography between Real and Surreal, working with Smith, and art as an act of faith. The conversation will be followed by a signing.

PLEASE NOTE: RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Seating is limited and will be first come, first served. Doors open at 5:30 PM.

Can't attend? Order your signed copy (please specify that you would like it signed in the comments box at checkout).

American fashion and portrait photographer Rodney Smith (1947–2016) creates a supreme, sublime balance between illusion and reality: women in couture dresses balancing on tightropes, dapper gentlemen seated with cardboard boxes over their heads and optical illusions make up his playfully contradictory oeuvre.

George Kocis is the director and a partner at Staley-Wise Gallery. He graduated with a degree in photography from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia before he joined the gallery in 2005. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD).

Reed Kelly’s career as a performing professional now spans 30 years. Reed grew up in dance competitions and furthered his training at American Ballet Theatre and The Juilliard School. He has since been a part of twelve Broadway shows (both as a performer and on creative teams), including playing the role of Spider-Man. He has worked with artists such as Cher, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Jessica Simpson, and with esteemed photographer Rodney Smith. He has been modeling since he was 15 and is the first non-Olympic athlete to be sponsored by Speedo USA.
Film and TV highlights include helping create the choreography for and being a cast member of NBC's SMASH; being part of the core cast of I Am Legend with Will Smith; and he remains a fan-favorite contestant on CBS's Survivor.

Now a professional acrobat, Reed is part of the internationally acclaimed aerial duo, "Two Fathoms," formed seven years ago by Cirque du Soleil. He continues to work with top circus companies in the USA and abroad and has been honored as a Permanent Resident of Distinguished Talent in Australia.

Zoe Friedman is an international model whose career spans fashion, beauty and luxury campaigns. Born in London and based in New York, she has worked with global brands including Chanel, L’Oréal, Givenchy, Banana Republic, Lexus, and Ritz-Carlton. Her longstanding working relationship with the late photographer Rodney Smith is reflected in a collection of his noted images.

Arthur Lubow is a journalist and critic, who has been a staff writer at The New Yorker, a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. He is the author of Diane Arbus: Portrait of a Photographer and Man Ray: The Artist and His Shadows. He writes frequently about the arts, particularly photography, for the New York Times.

ABOVE: "Self-Portrait with Leslie, Siena, Italy" (1990).

Rizzoli Bookstore
'Rodney Smith: Photography Between Real and Surreal
Friday, November 7, from 6–8 PM
1133 Broadway
New York, NY 10010
Register here