My work in photography, featuring the diverse groups of people that live together in The Bronx, has been a personal journey. Many of the ethnic groups that live together are from central and South America and West Africa, and they reflect the cyclical immigration of different ethnic groups that relocate in the United States.
I also want to create a bridge to fight stereotypes that negate people of color, such as the lack of education and resources, and a lot of the other intense issues that dominate the way the Bronx is perceived by the rest of the country. A lot of the intense issues emanating from The Bronx can be put under the umbrella of “people of color.” The reality of the Bronx is that it is populated by the poor, the working class and people struggling to rise to the middle class. I love the Bronx because it’s still the most “un-gentrified” borough — and because it’s real.
Beauty and survival
The Bronx gave me my sense of creativity. My photography focuses on portraiture and urban landscapes that show the contradictions and complexity between beauty and survival — the reality of life in The Bronx. The themes that I’ve created open your eyes to the beauty of The Bronx. Who gets to be exposed to art? Art should be accessible for everyone, especially for the poor and working people. Art should be not only for the people who can afford to pay to go to MoMA.
I’ve found that being a business owner in The Bronx means having to be more creative. The artistic expression and work becomes more politically based. People want to talk about the issues that are happening here. At the end of the day you have to invest in yourself and get others to invest in themselves, as well as in you.
Giving Grandeur to the Bronx
By Rhynna M. Santos
“The themes that I’ve created open your eyes to the beauty of The Bronx. Art should be accessible for everyone and especially for the poor and working people.”
– Rhynna M. Santos