Andrew Moore, Rolling hall, Ford Motor Company, River Rouge Complex, Dearborn, 2008, digital chromogenic print scanned from film negative, 62 x 78 in., Collection of Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell.
Detroit, the collapsed city that once served as the heart of the automotive industry, has captured the attention of American artist Andrew Moore. And he has in turn attempted to capture the majesty and tragedy of Detroit through photography. Organized by the Akron Art Museum, the exhibition Detroit Disassembled: Photographs by Andrew Moore consists of 30 pieces featuring various structures around the city, from the humblest of houses to the most elaborate of public buildings.
Once the fourth largest city in the nation, Detroit now has more abandoned property than any American city, with the exception of post-Katrina New Orleans. Moore’s photographs, taken between 2008 and 2009, reflect the decline the city has suffered over the past 50 years. The images, printed in the scale of epic history paintings, depict skeletal houses, empty factories and collapsed churches. However, his images also portray the ways in which the city’s dilapidated state has also lead to a revival of nature, and therefore his message can be interpreted as one of rebirth and redemption.
Director of Curatorial Affairs Barbara Tannenbaum comments on Moore’s work:
“Moore’s photographs of the Motor City are sublime— beautiful, operatic in scale and drama, tragic yet offering a glimmer of hope. Although it is hard to believe that his post-apocalyptic scenes reflect present day America, the artist has been scrupulously honest.”
Detroit Disassembled: Photographs by Andrew Moore will be on display in the Akron Art Museum until October 10, 2010. For more information, click here.
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