Andres Paulino
Andres’ approach to photography is shaped by their life growing up in Uptown. In their application for the project, Andres described their relationship with the city as, “A native New Yorker that's witnessing the rampant gentrification of neighborhoods.“
Something Andres looked at with their photography that was different from maybe other photographers was a focus on neighborhoods bordering a river or the ocean. This was evident in the map he made for the first workshop of the project. His photo of 125th St and Lexington looking at the Taino Towers speaks to his perspective in the maps he made quite a bit. The area is currently undergoing heavy redevelopment, and you only need to look at old photos to tell. Less than years ago, the site was occupied by a Pathmark and Rainbow – both staples of affordable grocery shopping and clothing in places like New York City. However, due to shifting real estate pressures as well as a city approved rezoning of East Harlem in 2017, the Pathmark and Rainbow were part of a redevelopment spree that saw the site bulldozed into its current state Andres captured.
After a failed plan to turn it into a corporate office tower, the developer that owns the property currently has shifted to turning the site into housing, some of which will be affordable. Despite this development, the lot that has been sitting empty for a few years no doubt represents the stress being placed on the community of East Harlem. Until very recently there were few grocery stores within a 5-10 minute walk within the 125th Street and Lex train stop, that is until a developer down the street on 3rd Avenue put up a building with a food bazaar.
This tale of building turnover to demolition reflects how even with the promise of something better, community can suffer in the intermission. What if instead of letting the lot sit empty, the developer opened it up for a flea market place? This question and more are hypotheticals Andres photograph and the rest of his work embody.
