“Great light accentuates things that would otherwise seem very commonplace,” says photographer David La Spina. And, indeed, La Spina’s tranquil, black-and-white snapshots focus on everyday scenes and objects across Staten Island and the Bronx. Fences, yards, bus stops, storefronts and street corners transform under layers of shadow and light into striking dividing lines—boundaries between spaces. At the same time, La Spina’s work recognizes that the City, his home and subject for the past five years, is far from inanimate. Recalling Christine Osinski’s grayscale portraiture of 1980s Staten Island, La Spina’s work captures anonymous, distant passersby, which he suggests “activate” their surroundings and allow viewers to “envision themselves in the space.” Experience these spaces for yourself in the following gallery. —Gillian Osswald
Photo: David La Spina
Verrazano Bridge, Staten Island
Photo: David La Spina
Tompkinsville, Staten Island
Photo: David La Spina
Tompkinsville, Staten Island
Photo: David La Spina
Tompkinsville, Staten Island
Photo: David La Spina
Waterfront, Staten Island
Photo: David La Spina
Alice Austen House, Staten Island
Grand Concourse, Bronx
Grand Concourse, Bronx
Grand Concourse, Bronx
Grand Concourse, Bronx
Arthur Avenue, Bronx
Arthur Avenue, Bronx
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