Jonathan Giftos
About the artist:
“I work as a primary care doctor at a clinic in the South Bronx. I believe it is part of my job, as a doctor, to advocate for my patients’ health both inside the exam room and out on the streets. I have enjoyed taking photographs since I was a little kid. After a long hiatus, I reconnected with street photography in the fall of 2014 through the Bronx Documentary Center. I particularly enjoy using photography to highlight the strength and beauty of a borough more often known by outsiders for its poverty and struggles. And I continue to see photography as both a creative outlet and as a tool for social change. I have been collecting photos on a new website, jonathangiftos.com, where prints are available in exchange for a donation to the Bronx Documentary Center.”
About the artwork:
“This photo was taken while standing with South Bronx Unite in protest of a deal that would bring a Fresh Direct facility, along with thousands of air-polluting diesel trucks, to the South Bronx waterfront. The continued consolidation of diesel-truck-intensive facilities in low-income neighborhoods is both an environmental injustice and a public-health concern. I believe that it is our responsibility as physicians to stand with our community in calling for an end to such unfair and exploitative practices.”
Visuals editor:
Justin Sanders
