Detroit Nocturne Project

In a continuation of my previous work in Detroit which focused on the daily lives of those who live and continue to struggle in the country’s most difficult city, I wanted to show, without actually involving people, that there are still many small independently owned shops, office buildings, homes, and neighborhoods that still maintain a presence in Detroit. With all the media attention about Detroit’s rebirth and revival, it’s important to note that many neighborhoods throughout the city have been surviving for years, relying on self-determination by sticking it out through decades of economic decline. Couple this with the renewed spirit of the city and you have a compelling mix of people, both new and old who are challenging the stereotypical notions of Detroit's decline. All of these structures, whether large or small, are in many ways a marker of the ongoing story that is Detroit, a city desperately trying to hold on to what is left of the social and economic fabric of the city. I’ve chosen to make these images at night not only to put more emphasis on their locale by presenting them in an unfamiliar light, but also to introduce a moment of quiet and calm reflection. Pieces of the past, present, and future are rendered here to carefully consider. They are after all the physical evidence of where we have carved our collective ambitions and lived out our dreams.