Artist statement: Street Photographs, East Harlem, Spring
The neighborhood of East Harlem is in a bit of transition, though it is one of the last areas in Manhattan to become “gentrified.” It is a place of vibrancy and color and many cultures, particularly Spanish. As a documentary photographer, I was interested in the multi-cultural signs and symbols that represent the populace.
The walls, bricks, building structures, murals and windows. And where nature exists in the city - trees in particular - whether growing in an empty lot, in a faded reproduction on the street, or accommodating a condo of birdhouses.
These photographs were made in 2014 and 2015 while I was an Artist-in-Residence at the Carter Burden/Leonard Covello Senior Center on East 109th Street. They were taken in a very limited and prescribed area, on the four square blocks of my varying route from the subway to the studio and back again. They are meant to be looked at alone or in pairs.
Click on images to view full size