In 2009, a group of photographers partnered with Heritage Toronto to document – in an artistic way – some of Toronto’s historic but often-forgotten architectural gems. The end result was a week-long exhibit at the Gladstone Hotel during Heritage Week in February entitled Building Storeys: A Photographic Exhibit of Toronto’s Aging Spaces. In two days, we will be opening our second installment of Building Storeys – this year subtitled A Photographic Exhibit of Toronto’s Industrial Past.
This year, I’m embarking on a project that will take me out my comfort zone have me going against my own rules of photography. The final goals are not just to have an interesting and creative exhibit with my collective, but also to expand my horizons as a photographer. What is the show about? The title is “The Velvet Divide: Breaking The Burlesque Taboo” – and throughout the next 7 months six other photographers and I will be shooting within our comfortable architectural spaces and learning the subtle art of working with models and performers.
The Terminal (also known as Michigan Central Station) was built in 1913 for the railroad and was Detroit’s main passenger depot until 1988. At the time of construction, it was the tallest rail station in the world and today it is still a visible, albeit crumbling, architectural icon on Detroit’s lanscape.
Not much is written about this old Linseed Oil Mill located in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto. Shut down in the 60s, it’s a 3-level structure that features enormous wooden doors on slider rails, extremely tight staircases that lead all the way up to the rooftop, a defunct elevator, and graffiti – both tagging and artistic – on every inch of wall space.
Lee Plaza, located at 2240 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, MI, is a registered historic site by the state of Michigan and was added to the United States National Register of Historic Sites in 1981. Originally, the building served as an upscale apartment with hotel services it has been vacant since the early 90s.
An ongoing and ever-evolving project, Vanishing Point aims to examine how time and space impact upon a single focal point within a larger landscape while using our vanishing urban spaces as subject matter. The viewer’s perspective is challenged through the use of multiple photo layers and viewpoints within the same scene.