For the past 10+ years, I have worked as a “street photographer,” exploring the personal dramas of loss and gun violence that are “played out,” marked, and memorialized in the public spaces of urban life. I was born and raised in New York, and lived through the disaster of 9/11 in lower Manhattan. In the aftermath of that tragedy and disaster, I was motivated by the need to document the ways in which survivors of the tragedy memorialized the loved ones who were killed. I remain attracted to urban subjects that are public expressions of personal grief or loss associated with racism, gun violence, and AIDS.

My photographs are printed on a large-scale, generally 44’ x 30’. The enlargement of images and super-magnification creates a sense of monumentality, but at the same time creates a sense of gritty realism. I often find myself startled and surprised by the distinct way that the delicate balance between life and death can be expressed in different urban environments.

None of my photographs are manipulated or artificially set up. Often, when I am going around looking for things to shoot, I meet family members who are the custodians of these memorials. I ask them permission to photograph and they usually have a lot to share with me. It can be for a cousin, brother or son and they try to keep them refreshed as long as possible. I have come back to photograph the same memorial months later to witness its changes. These private/public memorials are very powerful reminders of the forgotten victims.