The Lower East Side 1986 - 2010
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This book will consist of 400 color photographs that will provide an overview of the project, written commentary by myself and dozens of others who live or work in the most exciting neighborhood in the world, an interactive DVD that will group approximately 1500 images by location and a second DVD that will include all 7500 images. The following is a brief explanation of how the project developed. In December 1980, I moved from the West Village to 830 Broadway and became more aware that the East Village was very different from its older cousin to the west, which was becoming more and more of a bedroom community. The Lower East Side still had an ethnic flavor that was largely missing in the somewhat more prosperous West Village. I became fascinated with this unique part of New York City, and despite some terribly run down, possibly dangerous streets, I enjoyed taking advantage of all it had to offer. Unfortunately, I rarely had my camera with me, unless it was for a very specific assignment or short-term project. Time passed and as it did, the more often I found myself on the streets of the Lower East Side, and I began to notice the many changes that were slowly taking place. Some changes were for the good, some questionable, some downright awful. Taking a cue from my friend, Berenice Abbott, who so eloquently documented her adopted city in Changing New York, in March 1986 I decided to undertake a long-term photographic survey of this neighborhood, to document the changing Lower East Side and the East Village. I wasn’t really part of it; I lived on the fringe, but I was close enough to recognize that this corner of New York City offered beauty, excitement, mystery and the possibility of a remarkable photograph around each and every corner. This is still true in 2010. |
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