In East Harlem Diptychs, Ellen Wallenstein presents photographs that illustrate the vibrancy of one of Manhattan’s transitioning neighborhoods.

The artist describes East Harlem as “one of the last neighborhoods to be gentrified” in New York City and the images show her interest in the multi-cultural signs and symbols that represent the populace there. As a teacher and book artist Wallenstein is interested in the sequencing of photographs and how their positions relative to one another can influence what is being conveyed. “I photograph as pleasure, as practice, as meditation and as homage; for my sanity and my delight; because I must, because I have to; to teach from, to learn from, to look at, to remember.”

Ellen Wallenstein, b. 1952, New York City, is a photographer, book artist, collage maker, and professor. She earned a B.A. in Art History from SUNY Stony Brook and a MFA in Photography from Pratt Institute.

Wallenstein’s work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions in the United States and Europe, and is included in many private and public collections. Her photographic works have been nominated for the Alfred Eisenstaedt Award and the Santa Fe Prize. A NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts) Fellow, she has published several books, and her images and writings have been featured in many print and on-line magazines.