STREET:WITNESS

The high levels of energy radiating from the streets outside always make me feel restless in the quiet atmosphere of my parents’ home. I feel like a mosquito being attracted to a bright light somewhere in the distance, unsure of what I could get myself into, and find myself constantly walking the streets of New York City. I became interested in what the street could tell me about a culture and society and how to use this knowledge to create a portrait of the city. I am interested in discovering the subtleties of a society with a class structure. I want to know if artifacts of wealth present themselves on the street, and to try to understand how such a place balances its various ethnic groups and religions, which all call this place home. The streets of New York do have a reputation for their grittiness but I want to bring out a contemporary portrait of a city whose streets are full of history, which seem to be perpetually changing along with its reputation. Most importantly I wanted to know where I fit in: I needed to make these pictures to help me coordinate myself existentially