The Manrilla Blog | Life. Art. Religion. Culture.

Once boasting some of the grandest houses to be found, so many of Detroit’s former “mansions” lay in ruin. There are spots where one can drive for blocks or perhaps even miles and witness only decay. Many have fallen victim to fire or been ravaged by scavengers looking to make a few pennies off of stripping it of all metals such as the copper wiring or plumbing. Several of the houses were occupied by the homeless or other drifters with the occasional junk yard dog that could pose a formidable challenge to shooting. If memory serves, this was near Brush Park. Hasselblad 501 C/M, Ilford Delta 400. Tripod.

Retrospective?

They call Detroit the Motor City. I guess that’s a good name for it seeing that all those cars have been built there. But on my many shoots it seemed more like a motor graveyard. Often one could find an old tire just laying in the street or the sidewalk. Abandoned cars. An abandoned life. It was around this time, approximately 2001, when I was taking weekly trips back into the city to shoot, that I would just wander the streets and take in the blight. Many of the hipster kids from the art schools like Cranbrook or CCS thought it was “cool” because it was all run down. I always thought it was sad - perhaps because it’s where I was born. So much greatness now only lingers in forgotten and dilapitaed houses, who’s craftsmenship has been lost in the annuls of Time. Titus was with me on this one. I think both our hands were frozen shut by the day’s end. God, I miss the ol’ days. Hasselblad 501 C/M. Ilford Delta 400 ISO. Hand-held.

Retrospective?