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Central Square is poetry in motion. The street life and the passers-by. They cluster at the bus-stops, dancing in the colors of the rainbow skylights, shadowed by the presence of construction walls and chicken-wire fences. They are the lone voices calling from boarded-up buildings. The cry of a community committed to being included in the decisions that will impact their future. |
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Every day I walk through Central Square. I eat in Central Square. I work in Central Square. I study in Central Square. Throughout the past few months Central Square has moved from my background to my foreground. I've noticed the moldings on the buildings, the graffiti on the doors, the whirlwind of people that lie on the benches designated for sitting. They argue under neon signs, they smile in shade of century old buildings. |
| My new understanding and appreciation for this neighborhood has been highlighted through the lens of my camera...focusing in on the details and unique characteristics of the area as I paused on corners, hid behind telephone booths, and stopped ongoing traffic to get the wide-angle shot. |
In the past few months I have engaged in multiple conversations with friends and strangers, classmates and co-workers about the development of Central Square. Many of these discussions have been part of a project I am working on for my internship at Cambridge Community Television. This project, Central Square Conversations, was the original motivation behind my choosing Central Square for the site of my photo-essay. These conversations brought a new perspective to my photography, and my photography has deeply enriched the questions I have asked in these conversations. I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to immerse myself in a my everyday landscape through this medium.
| The following photo essay examines the unique nature of Central Square through five themes: community, change, continuity, commerce, and controversy. They are just the beginning of what I've seen. They are just the beginning of the issues central to Central Square. They are just the beginning of the ramifications of any neighborhood undergoing such rapid vitalization. | ||