Nearly a decade ago, summer of 2012, I visited the industrial part of Bushwick, Brooklyn, for a popup one day photo exhibition. The neighborhood felt distant, disconnected from what in my mind is New York or, indeed, Brooklyn. Yet I instantly fell for the vibe of the neighborhood and its utilitarian architecture. Around the same period of time, outer boroughs gentrification, and the inevitable accompanying changes it brings with it, was a frequent news subject. My curiosity was piqued, and I started visiting the neighborhood every so often, trying to grasp it via my camera. In the winter of 2015 I started the Life on L Line project documenting the changes in the neighborhoods along the L subway line.
The project encapsulates the characteristics and changes of the neighborhoods along the L line, both in Manhattan and Brooklyn, via still images, oral history from long time residents and businesses, as gentrification continues, altering the demographics. The pressure of changes along the L line is such that, as an example, the Our Lady of Loreto Church in Brownsville was demolished late 2017 in favor of a residential building — against the neighborhood residents’ wish.
The project was exhibited at b[x] in Bushwick from October 25 to December 8, 2019.
Williamsburg, 2008
East New York, 2015
Bushwick, 2016
Our Lady of Loreto Church in Brownsville was demolished late 2017
Union Square, 2017
Bushwick, 2017
Brownsville, 2018
East Village, 2018
Bushwick, 2018
Williamsburg, 2018
Bushwick, 2018
Bushwick, 2018
Chelsea, 2018
Union Square, 2018
Bushwick, 2019
Brownsville, 2019
Bushwick, 2019
East Village, 2019
Union Square, 2019
Brownsville, 2019
Bushwick, 2018
East New York, 2018
Williamsburg, 2008
East New York, 2015
Bushwick, 2016
Our Lady of Loreto Church in Brownsville was demolished late 2017
Union Square, 2017
Bushwick, 2017
Brownsville, 2018
East Village, 2018
Bushwick, 2018
Williamsburg, 2018
Bushwick, 2018
Bushwick, 2018
Chelsea, 2018
Union Square, 2018
Bushwick, 2019
Brownsville, 2019
Bushwick, 2019
East Village, 2019
Union Square, 2019
Brownsville, 2019
Bushwick, 2018
East New York, 2018
Farras Abdelnour Photography
A New York-based freelance photographer specializing in fine art and documentaries