Artist statement:
This body of work began with an email from ArchiTech Gallery mentioning that someone had a project on the west side of Chicago and was looking for artists to visually capture it. The Homan Arthington Foundation, working with DTKindler Communications, wanted to creatively capture the Sears Powerhouse before the interior underwent a complete transformation on it's path to becoming a neighborhood high school.
Because of the creative freedom offered, this work represents only what was most visually interesting about the Power House. Unencumbered by the obligation that accompanies documentation, I was left to wander and wonder. It was truly a pleasure to enjoy the dense array of pipes and tubes buried among the catwalks and stairs, while capturing the overwhelming quiet and decay of the once bustling Power House.
Technically, the bulk of the project was captured with a DSLR camera, with the "best" images done with a 4x5 view camera and color transparency film. No supplemental lighting was used. In order to capture the natural light, some exposures were over twenty minutes long. And as the season turned colder, I could easily see my breath inside the Great Hall.
www.darrisharris.com
