Perla de Leon

Perla de Leon (born New York, NY, 1952), is an American artist and photographer from New York City. Her most famous work is her "South Bronx Spirit" photo series, documenting the urban decay of the South Bronx due to its total economic collapse during the 1970s.

Personal life A New Yorker with Puerto Rican roots, de Leon grew up in the multi-cultural neighborhood of Hamilton Heights in Harlem. During the second half of the 20th century, white flight, economic changes, and the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway led to racial tensions and rising rates of crime, decreasing property values and further disadvantaging the poor working classes of the South Bronx. De Leon was convinced that the mainstream media was not accurately portraying what was happening to the South Bronx and its people during her upbringing, and this led her to capture the daily lives of the children and families who still remained in the decaying neighborhoods using photographs.

De Leon also considers herself an activist, and in 2018 she joined forces with LuminAid and University of Puerto Rico students to distribute solar lights to remote areas of the island following Hurricane Maria in 2017.

"South Bronx Spirit" Photo Series (1970s - 1980s) Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, de Leon used photographs to document the communities of the South Bronx, occupied predominantly by African Americans and Latinos. The photographs feature children playing outside and engaging with de Leon amongst the ruins. The series is intended as a historical document showing the consequences of U.S. austerity, and highlighting U.S. policy towards poor black and Latino communities. In 2018 she appeared on the radio broadcast Constructive Forces hosted by Kate Yoland on Resonance FM to discuss the history behind the project. The event was hosted by Mayor Bill de Blasio and curated by Art Historian Jessica Bell Brown. The purpose was to document Puerto Rico's "most vulnerable and invisible citizens," whose ancestors were brought over by slave ships to build the foundation for Puerto Rico's economy.