Year of the Ox, by Gigi Bio

As photographer Gigi Bio walked about the city, she marveled at the pace that buildings around her were torn down and stacked back up. She set out to freeze those moments in time, the result being her "Urban Reconstructionist" and "Character Studies" series. The images in these series are digital collages of photos taken of a single location, using multiple angles and time frames to reconstruct the energy of that point in history.

"It amazed me how structures rise and fall during our sleep," Bio says. "I wanted to preserve what was lost in my own way."

These works stitch together natural lines to construct paths that make the eyes focus where Bio wants them to. Patterns created by various color shades from the same image recreate the energetic jumble of urban density. The juxtaposition of different timeframes makes for unique shading and intense contrast. Everyday textures of concrete or sky are animated by interjecting new details into their normal blends of color and shape. Perspective is highly exagerated. And many of the locations she chooses are already full of their own character.

"The Year of the Ox" is perhaps the best example of her work. Taken at dusk in the aftermath of the annual Chinese New Year Parade, its broad prism of color accentuates the surrealism present in each work of this series. The deep glow of blue from the sky acts as an anchor to the surrounding purples, reds, and yellows. These patterns are subtly repeated in the confetti littering the street.

Camera in hand, Bio scours New York for moments in time such as this, her inspiration flowing from the streets, architecture, graffiti, and life. "It’s all about the life and energy you feel while walking in the streets," she says.

It was these interests that brought her to Bushwick after attending school in Georgia and Florida. "I moved to this neighborhood because it reminded me of a moving collage," Bio explains. "Over the years, I witnessed so much transition. The juxtaposition of old and modern architecture makes this neighborhood my home."

In addition to her photographic endeavors, Bio is also a fashion designer and is co-director of the Brooklyn Artsmith Collective. The collective’s mission is "about creating a positive impact during bad times and creating a sense of community in the lives of the next generation." Artsmith recently held a fundraiser for a school in Downtown Brooklyn where they helped the students produce and sell their own artwork.

One of her pieces, "Prisms on Bushwick," graced the pages of BushwickBK last year.