Parkside Ave Instagram Creator Speaks About Controversial Page

PROSPECT-LEFFERTS GARDENS, BROOKLYN — An Instagram account full of candid snapshots of everyday life outside of the Parkside Avenue subway station has upset some neighbors who say it's an invasion of privacy.

After Patch published an article on Thursday about their concerns, which followed a heated discussion on a neighborhood Facebook page, the person behind the account reached out to us to answer a few questions via email.

The person requested anonymity since the project "has clearly garnered some negative reaction."

We've republished the conversation below with some light edits.

READ MORE: Parkside Ave Instagram Shows Everyday Life And Fuels Privacy Row

Patch: What inspired you to start this page?

@ParksideAv: It is my way of paying homage to this city that I grew up in and to document the history that is taking place in this microcosm of Brooklyn. Ever since I was young I have been fascinated by human beings and the way in which live our lives. Parkside Ave feeds into this curiosity and provides me an outlet to express myself, as well as share the vibrancy of my neighborhood.

Do these shots all come from a certain location? It looks like you're shooting out of a second- or third-floor window.

I'd like to keep this to myself.

What kinds of reactions and attention did you get on this page after you started it?

I got a lot of "this is creepy...but i love it." I think we all have a desire to watch anonymously but feel guilty about doing so. I know that I am not alone in my curiosity of people and the human condition. These photos may make people feel uncomfortable, but they also feed into our desire to watch and be watched.

What would you say to people who have privacy concerns with the page?

My photographs do not reflect any malevolent intention on my part. It is not like I am taking photographs of people in their homes or targeting specific demographics as my subject. I am simply documenting life as it occurs, just as famous street photographers and documentarians have done so in the past.

It is my hope that the people who feel uncomfortable with my work question why those feelings exist. We already put so much of our personal self online for the world to consume, swipe, and discard. And at every moment, so much more personal and private details about ourselves are being stored in databases across the globe without our consent. What makes this any different?

Generally speaking, what do you like about the project?

I think this project exposes the rawness, good and bad, of everyday life in the city and does not try to place a filter over everything. These photos can be a breath of fresh air in a time where much of what we consume is filtered, processed, and curated to the point where we can no longer distinguish what is real and what is fake.

Anything else you want to add?

This work was very much influenced by the following artists: Arne Svenson, Peter Funch, and Chris Maggio. Check out their work if you enjoy Parkside Ave.

Lead image courtesy ParksideAv