No One's Home
Hanger and Heart, Glencoe, NC, 2001
Imbue Print
24x30" Image
32x38" Mat
3/10
$950 
Artist Statement
My photographs tell stories of ordinary places. Somewhere between man and nature, stand man-made objects, symbols of our social condition. Through these objects are revealed the drama, history and aspirations of humankind. In the empty farmhouses, churches and fallen barns, in the bridges, train tracks and crumbling cornices, in doorways and sidewalks, in rusty signs and storefronts, I see richness and poverty, hope and despair, joy and sorrow, and pervading all, a sense of time ingrained in the continuity of life.
I have always been fascinated with the places and things that are left behind. For the past several years I have been photographing the interior spaces of rural vernacular architecture, focusing on North Carolina and its closed cotton mills. I was drawn to the small village of Glencoe Mills, an 1880s cotton mill village, which closed its doors in 1954. Like an archeologist, I am looking for clues by photographing these spaces. And like archeology, each room reveals a level of time. I see these rooms as metaphors for states of being.
It is my hope to discover what is the underlying spirit and vitality of these empty landscapes, and to reveal the poignancy of places that man has inhabited and left behind. The patina of human use and neglect continues to be an inspiration in my work.
Process Statement
I use a medium format camera that is affectionately known as "Big Bertha," and color-saturated negative film. Other than the three lenses in my backpack, I have kept my palette to a minimum. The project of the mill houses began as black and white, sepia-toned images. What I discovered in the process, were the richly hued colors of Glencoe, and from that point started shooting the project in color. Because I use natural light, and rely on the kindness (?) of the weather, I needed a film that had a lot of latitude. The interiors had extreme tonal contrast. I enjoyed my continuing dialogue with the mill workers’ rooms throughout the different seasons. Each visit revealed another layer of possibilities for me.
An Imbue print is an archival Epson print, printed on a matte art paper. I love the way the ink reacts with the paper, the final result having a fresco-like quality, glowing with color. I chose to scan the negatives and prepare the images digitally. I wanted the final prints to reflect the luminosity of the interior spaces, and the viewer to experience their rich patina.
My photographs tell stories of ordinary places. Somewhere between man and nature, stand man-made objects, symbols of our social condition. Through these objects are revealed the drama, history and aspirations of humankind. In the empty farmhouses, churches and fallen barns, in the bridges, train tracks and crumbling cornices, in doorways and sidewalks, in rusty signs and storefronts, I see richness and poverty, hope and despair, joy and sorrow, and pervading all, a sense of time ingrained in the continuity of life.
I have always been fascinated with the places and things that are left behind. For the past several years I have been photographing the interior spaces of rural vernacular architecture, focusing on North Carolina and its closed cotton mills. I was drawn to the small village of Glencoe Mills, an 1880s cotton mill village, which closed its doors in 1954. Like an archeologist, I am looking for clues by photographing these spaces. And like archeology, each room reveals a level of time. I see these rooms as metaphors for states of being.
It is my hope to discover what is the underlying spirit and vitality of these empty landscapes, and to reveal the poignancy of places that man has inhabited and left behind. The patina of human use and neglect continues to be an inspiration in my work.
Process Statement
I use a medium format camera that is affectionately known as "Big Bertha," and color-saturated negative film. Other than the three lenses in my backpack, I have kept my palette to a minimum. The project of the mill houses began as black and white, sepia-toned images. What I discovered in the process, were the richly hued colors of Glencoe, and from that point started shooting the project in color. Because I use natural light, and rely on the kindness (?) of the weather, I needed a film that had a lot of latitude. The interiors had extreme tonal contrast. I enjoyed my continuing dialogue with the mill workers’ rooms throughout the different seasons. Each visit revealed another layer of possibilities for me.
An Imbue print is an archival Epson print, printed on a matte art paper. I love the way the ink reacts with the paper, the final result having a fresco-like quality, glowing with color. I chose to scan the negatives and prepare the images digitally. I wanted the final prints to reflect the luminosity of the interior spaces, and the viewer to experience their rich patina.