Spanish Harlem, New York’s oldest barrio, is the mecca where Puerto Ricans first established themselves in the U.S. during the 1940s. One of America’s most vital centers of latino culture, Spanish Harlem is home to 125,000 people, half of whom are Latino.
Shot in the mid-to-late 80s, Joseph Rodríguez’s photographs bring us into the core of the neighborhood, capturing the spirit of a people that survive despite the ravages of poverty, and more recently, the threat of gentrification and displacement. In a now-distant landscape littered with abandoned buildings, ominous alleyways, and the plague of addiction, the residents of Spanish Harlem have persevered with flamboyant style and gritty self-reliance.
The heart of the work comes from Rodríguez’s intimacy and access. The trust and familiarity he built with his subjects—repeated visits with no camera, no photographing, then little by little, a peek here, a shot there—enabled him to transcend surface level sheen and exploitation, capturing images that reveal the essence of the neighborhood, and of the era. The intimate access, paired with a sharp eye for detail and composition, and the practiced and disciplined ability to find the perfect moment, led to the creation of an entirely unique and breathtaking narrative.
In images ranging from idyllic scenes of children playing under sprinklers on the playground, to people performing the traditional bomba y plena on Old Timer’s Day, and the shocking images of men shooting up speedballs and children dying of AIDS, Rodríguez reveals a day in the life of the barrio in the 1980s.
Artist Bios
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Joseph Rodriguez
Joseph Rodríguez is a documentary photographer born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He studied photography at the School of Visual Arts and in the Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Program at the International Center of Photography.
His work has been published by National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Mother Jones, Newsweek, New York Magazine, Esquire, Stern, BBC News, and New America Media. He has received awards and grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, USC Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fund for Investigative Journalism, and others. He has authored eight books of photography, including East Side Stories: Gang Life in East Los Angeles, Juvenile, and Taxi: Journey Through My Windows 1977–1987, all published by powerHouse Books.
Joseph is represented by Galerie Bene Taschen, Cologne, Germany. His work has been exhibited at Aperture Gallery; Reva and David Logan Gallery for Documentary Photography at the Graduate School of Journalism, Berkeley, CA; and the Bronx Documentary Center.
He has been a visiting artist at many universities in the Americas and Europe and taught at New York University Tisch School of the Arts and The International Center of Photography.
Organizations
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United Photo Industries (UPI)
United Photo Industries (UPI) is a New York based nonprofit organization that works to promote a wider understanding of, and increased access to, the art of photography.
Since its founding in 2011, UPI has rapidly solidified its position in the public art landscape by continuing to showcase thought-provoking, challenging, and exceptional photography from across the globe. In its first seven years, UPI has presented the work of more than 2,500 visual artists in gallery exhibitions and public art installations worldwide.
Spanish Harlem: El Barrio in the ’80s
Featuring: Joseph Rodriguez
Curated by: Sam Barzilay
Locations
View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
This location is part of Brooklyn Bridge Park
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Related Events
Spanish Harlem
Joe Rodriguez and David Gonzalez will be discussing his groundbreaking National Geographic cover on Spanish Harlem in the 1980s, looking back on a vital New York City community that is undergoing increasing gentrification.
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