'Brooklyn Flux' is an ongoing photo project by Kristy Chatelain documenting the ever-changing culture of Brooklyn's Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhoods. When Catelain first moved to Greenpoint in 2006, she fell in love with the Polish mom-and-pop shops that lined the city's streets. Her love for photography worked hand-in-hand with her newfound love for Brooklyn but she sensed an immense amount of change was going to occur.
She began photographing the street art, defunct buildings and abandoned architecture of the charming town before it changed. Her prediction soon held true and her photo series Brooklyn Flux illustrates the countless changes that has occurred since she first photographed the area. In just a few years, plenty of these modest businesses have been replaced by overpriced bars and restaurants. Street art has since been covered to make room for artisanal bakeries and wineries. Brooklyn Flux essentially shows a before and after of the pervasive gentrification Greenpoint and Williamsburg experienced ultimately prompting her to move to another neighborhood.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Gentrification Documentation
- Opportunity to capture and document the changes and impact of gentrification in urban areas.
- Preservation Photography
- Disruptive opportunity to capture and preserve the cultural heritage of rapidly changing neighborhoods.
- Artistic Representation of Urban Transformation
- Unique opportunity to showcase the transformation of urban landscapes through creative photography.
Where This Applies
- Photography
- Photographers can find new niches and clients by specializing in documenting gentrification and preserving cultural heritage.
- Urban Planning
- Urban planners can gain insights from gentrification photography to inform development strategies and preserve community character.
- Art Galleries
- Art galleries can curate exhibitions showcasing urban transformation photography, attracting art enthusiasts and sparking dialogues about gentrification.
