BDC FOCUS - Bronx Artist Spotlight

Bronx Artist Spotlight
Through the Lens of Resilience:
The Journey of Photographer
Ed Alvárez

BY PAMELA Y. ROZON

Published on Dec 10, 2024

When asked to describe himself, photographer Ed Alvárez, 57, says that he’s a lucky guy. For many years the Puerto Rican South Bronx native dedicated himself to the art of photography and to capturing the essence of his neighborhood over the decades he lived there. Now diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he is going through the fight of his life.

Alvárez views his life in chapters, the first being his childhood. He grew up with an alcoholic father who often was verbally and physically violent. His sister isolated herself due to her own personal struggles, and his mother suffered her own battles with her unhappy marriage and health issues.

His father would often whisper into his ear, calling him a loser for always being sick, and would berate him for crying. He grew resentful towards his father, and he believes that those strong negative feelings, along with a deep insecurity, led to his addiction to drugs.

“By the time I was 14, I was already addicted to heroin,” said Alvárez.

When he was 21, his ex-wife left him and he had to make a decision–either continue living as a drug addict or go through the hard road to recovery. He decided to fight through his addiction, attending a 14-day detox program at Metropolitan Hospital.

Members of the Bronx Christian Charismatic Prayer Fellowship Inc. hold services at the Claremont Neighborhood Center while their church undergoes structural repairs. © Ed Alvárez

One early Sunday morning in 2013, he suddenly turned on the television to see a Channel 12 News report on an exhibition at the Bronx Documentary Center (BDC). There was a large turnout of people, with lines running down the block.

The Seis Del Sur exhibition covered the work of six South Bronx-based photographers who had photographed the neighborhood during the 70s - 90s. Out of curiosity, he attended the exhibition, only to find a picture of himself in the gallery.

Alvárez remembers the history behind that photo. Sometime in the early 1980s, RIcky Flores, a Puerto Rican young man asked to take a picture of him. At the time Alvarez was 14 and heavily intoxicated, but he agreed to let Ricky take a photo.

“When I left that life, I forgot about that kid. And here he is. He pops up again in 2013 (...) I remember crying so much. I remember how I made my mother suffer so much because I was on drugs,” said Alvarez. “When you're on drugs, you're basically playing Russian roulette with your life.”

After the exhibition, he contacted the photographer and was invited to join the BDC’s free Friday workshops, becoming a member of the Bronx Photo League, a group of Bronx photographers working with the BDC in those years, gaining new skills and professional opportunities.

“Getting involved with the BDC and with that group of photographers was the best thing that could have happened,” said Alvárez, “from that moment on, I became a photographer because I saw life completely differently.” Channeling all his pain into his passion for photography, he says he found a new family and those negative feelings no longer mattered.

“All of my photos have to mean something, I have to have that personal connection, and I was able to get that,” said Alvarez. When I think about my past experiences, I realize that I’ve come a long way.”

He worked with many forms of photography–from street and documentary, to fashion, combat sports, and more. His work was published in various public art exhibits and in books, such as the Bronx Artist Documentary Project, Jerome Avenue Workers project, and the Claremont Documentary Project.

“It saved my life years ago, and I want it to save my life now,” said Alvárez. “I'm fighting to be able to go back to photographing and watching people's expression when they see my images and how it makes them feel, because I see the importance of documenting people and documenting reality.”

Alvárez remembers when he first woke up with a strange kind of heartburn. He didn't think too much about it, but when over-the-counter pain medicines did nothing to resolve it, he decided to go to the hospital.

Alvárez was later told by a doctor that they had found a significantly large mass on his pancreas, and was referred to an oncologist. On April 10th of this year he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “Sickness seems to follow me,” Alvárez says.

“I want you to take this seriously,” Alvárez recalls his doctor telling him. He was in utter disbelief as his wife cried beside him. He was told he was inoperable, as the cancer wrapped itself around his hepatic artery and blood vessels.

He is in between stage 3 and 4 of cancer, as it has not spread to his other organs. His treatment began quickly, with chemotherapy once every two weeks, each session lasting seven hours.

“When I was first diagnosed, I didn't cry in front of my wife at all. It didn't happen until months later, but she would tell me, let it out. Nope, not me. But then later on, the reality set in.” said Alvárez. “But you know what? I got this, I got this.”

Alvárez remains strong-willed, and confident in his recovery. After treatment, his cancer has shrunk. His CA 19-9 levels, or Cancer Antigen levels used to measure cancer cells in the body, went from 400 to 70. He is also currently close to reaching his goal of raising twenty thousand dollars to pay for his cancer treatment and living expenses.

Despite his diagnosis, he still considers himself a lucky guy. He hopes to beat cancer quickly to get back to what he loves doing, photography.

“It saved my life years ago, and I want it to save my life now,” said Alvarez. “I'm fighting to be able to go back to photographing and watching people's expression when they see my images and how it makes them feel, because I see the importance of documenting people and documenting reality.”