Photography. Music and, and, and - New York in the eighties. Everything was changing. Over the next seven years I spent my time noticing, amassing my observations. Catching slices of the information happening around me, and here distilling them into NUMBERS.

Distilling over fifteen thousand images into this self published monograph.

The accompanying essay by writer and editor Stephen Byrne places the work in the cultural and historical landscape of early 1980s downtown New York — reflecting on memory, displacement, and what it means to witness a world in the act of disappearing.

Get your copy of NUMBERS here

Wholesale enquiries contact - stephenbestis@gmail.com‍ ‍

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Black and white photo of old and new building facades with fire escapes reflecting on a window.
Black and white photo of a city street corner with an older building, a car, graffiti on the wall, a billboard, and street signs.
Three black-and-white photographs showing urban scenes with old buildings, cars, and graffiti.
Black and white photo of an urban street corner with graffiti-covered walls, a building with fire escapes, parked cars, and a street sign for E 10th Street.
Black-and-white photo of a live music performance with an audience and two performers on stage.
A collage of black-and-white photographs showing city street scenes with people, bicycles, and emergency responders.
A black and white photograph of a city sidewalk with a park on the left side and residential buildings on the right. A large container on the right side has a sign that reads, 'AUL IN MOVING.' In the background, a person is walking down the sidewalk,
A black and white photo of a tree in a park with a fence, bare trees, and buildings in the background.
Black and white photograph of an urban cityscape viewed from a window, showing multi-story brick buildings, a street with a lamppost, and a few pedestrians.
Black and white photo of a snowy park with trees, a fence, a lamppost, and a mural of a woman holding a fish.
Black and white image of a street scene featuring a leafless tree in the foreground, with a building that has a metal fence and boarded-up windows in the background.
Black and white photo of the front of an old building with signs for an auto sale and an oil company. A vintage car and a person are visible on the street. Part of a large, reflective, metallic vehicle is seen in the foreground.
Black and white photo of a city street corner with parked cars, a stoplight, and pedestrians. The background shows brick buildings, one with a fire escape, and a building with
Two black-and-white photos of urban alleyways; the left shows a building with fire escapes, a chain-link fence, and a mural of a turtle and landscape on a wall; the right depicts a graffiti-covered door with a cartoonish face with wings, surrounded b
Empty diner with padded bar stools and a counter, seen through a glass door with a 'PUSH' sign.
Storefront with neon signs reading Palermo Bakery and Shop, displaying bread and baked goods in the display case, with a sign indicating open Sundays.
Black and white photo of a building with graffiti-covered metal shutter, partially open windows, and an empty sidewalk. Street signs indicate an intersection, with one sign reading 'AVE B' and a smaller sign saying 'DON'T WALK'.
Black and white photo of a city street corner with parked cars, pedestrians, and buildings, including a street sign reading "AVE C."
A U-Haul truck parked on a city street with tall buildings in the background, advertising one-way and local rentals.
Abandoned storefronts on a city street, including Mario's Luncheonette with a sign advertising ice cream and candy, along with graffitied metal security shutters, a trash bin, and a street sign.
Black and white photograph of a city street scene with buildings in the background, pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, parked cars, and a billboard showing a man smoking Winston cigarettes. A traffic sign displays a price of 0.80 per pack.
Neon sign reading 'Tacos' shaped like a pie chart, with city buildings and a clock tower reflected in the window.
Black-and-white photo of a bar and grill storefront with signs, posters, and a person standing outside.
A black and white photo of a street scene with a food truck in the foreground that has a sign for 'Lehko's' and an illustration of a person, possibly a chef or a baker. In the background, there's a multi-story brick apartment building with fire escap
Black and white photo of a city intersection viewed from inside a store, with a neon sign reflecting on the window. The sign reads 'TOY.' Outside, there are people talking, a fire truck passing by, and apartment buildings with fire escapes. Street si
A young boy standing in front of a brick wall covered in graffiti, with a large city street sign reading 'C Town' above him. The boy wears a jacket, jeans, and sneakers, and looks towards the camera.
A black and white panoramic view of an urban street corner with old buildings, cars, and graffiti-covered walls. There are advertisements, a parked car, a pedestrian, and an open gate.
Black and white storefront sign reading 'Key Food' with two large key symbols, one on each side of the words. Below, smaller signs advertise various food items and prices, including meats, seafood, and snacks, with a few people and cars visible.
A vintage black car with flame decals parked in front of an old, partially ruined building during sunset, with shadows cast across the scene.
Black and white photo of a closed pizza shop with a sign that reads 'Stromboli Pizza'. The shop's windows are boarded up, and the storefront displays a sign with the word 'PIZZA'. A vehicle is parked outside.