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the ruins of detroit project's Interests
General
pushing the boundries of classic urban images. transforming a medium... the basic principles a city was founded upon and the counter culture it spawned. what it all means, and how do i describe it to other people. visually and verbally. photography, history, architecture, art, music, life.
Music
a lil bit of everything.
Books
Ghostly ruins, graffiti world, banksy, abandoned america
About me: The ruins of detroit project.
The detroit ruins project has been in progress in some form or another for six years. During that time we have seen Detroit grow and change. It started in High school when we treated the cities abandoned buildings as playgrounds. We were a group of photographers that spent every day shooting. In college, some people move out of state, some just moved on, but we stayed, we kept comming back to the same places and began documenting thier changes over time. We saw our favorite buildings burn to the ground and found new ones along the way. Each building has it's own mysteries, that we'e tried to solve and it's own beauty.
The project shifted somewhere, to deal with the idea of abandoment in general. We traveld across the midwest and photographed abandoned towns in Iowa and homes in Missori and anything we found along the way. The focus seemed to stay on detroit and we photographed abandoned homes, warehouses, yaht clubs, skyscrappers, retail stores, and tralior parks.
The first body of work was finished in 2004 titled Ruins, the second titled Rural series 2005, and since we have picked up on the ruins series and been working harder then ever. We've been shown in the Scarab Club, Xhedos Cafe, Wayne State University, Michigan Federal Building, and been affiliated with Exposure Detroit, Michigan In Pictures, Wayne State University Undergraduate Research, and am always looking for more help with the project.
Most recently we've started to realise the corelation between these buildings and the art, music, and life that come out of this city. People who live and work here are almost always trying to make it a better place, and there is so much life in a city most see as a dying or dead city. We have been working fervently to give an accurate picture of whats going on down here, photographing everday life, as well as the fast paced nights that never end.
We've run around alot of buildings in Detroit, and we've learned alot of lessons doing it, including black eyes, nasty cuts and close escapes from wild dogs. We respect the buildings, thus no destruction of property, and no breaking and entering. We have learned rules of saftey including proctective equipment, and number of people. However no matter how many precautions we take it is still very danerous, we are not condoning it, esp. if you fall in love with it and it takes up six years of your life.
Also to protect us and the buildings, we will never post thier locations .., so please do not ask. and while we love graffiti, and graffiti artists, we do not suggest you pick up a can and start spraying. The people who live and work here are some of the most inspiring people we've ever met, and we've undertaken this project with the help of a research grant from wayne state university to document this moment of time in a city that is at a turning point.
"The abandonment in Detroit spans types of space; residential, commercial, and industrial, the only city in the United States that houses abandoned skyscrapers. For centuries humans have been attracted to ruins, testaments to lives that are now gone and removed. The ruins of Detroit have become ghostly skeletons that the earth is pulling to the ground, shelters for the homeless, and playgrounds for modern explorers and graffiti artists. My photos are documents of their existence."
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Who I'd like to meet: How can you help?
The project needs many things but most of all it needs your support.
We’re undertaking a daunting task, and the best way to help is to let us know how you feel about it, or your stories on Detroit, any window into a city that seems a gigantic mystery.
If your throwing a party and want us to come document it, or hear of any new buildings being open. We would love to hear about it. Were also looking for support from other grants and scholarships, or non-profits.
Monetary donations will always be accepted to help pay for equipment, gas, printing, and the occasional day off work to go shoot.
Photos are for sale they can be printed any size you like and we can also do custom framing. Go to www.flickr.com/photos/vanessamiller then message me what you like.
Thanks for stopping by. - Vanessa Miller
the ruins of detroit project's Friend Space (Top 12)
Thanks for adding me! I lived for 20 years in various buildings within a block of the Forest Arms and your pictures raised a multitude of emotions. Thank you for your portrayals of the city I will always call home.
Other shorts to be screened include Terra [trailer], After the Bloodrush [trailer], American Piety [trailer], The Good Wife's Guide, Revolver, Intersection, Sockblobula, "g", Eternal Education, Mangurt, and Forever in Time. All shorts in the program are Michigan-made. For a program description and tickets, go to www.myspace.com/mittenmovieproject
I am glad you are undertaking this project. I moved into the city just a few years ago, and love to drive around exploring all the nooks and crannies of what Detroit was and is. It is as if the ruins want to tell me something, but are muffled and muted. The beautiful photos on this page give them a kind of voice. For some it is a nostalgia of what Detroit was, and a reminder of what it has become. For someone like me, who grew up out of state, and out of country, these ruins conjure up so many questions and mysteries. They are also a reminder that just because they are abandonded, doesn't mean that life has stopped. The ruins themselves, while connecting us to the past, are in a state of flux. Be it the overgrowth of vegetation, the further decay of building materials, or the ever new imprints of human visitation, to catch that in your lenses is just amazing. Thank you.
Tonight in Royal Oak - Exposure.Detroit! Photographic Exhibit Grand Opening
@ The Bean & Leaf Cafe (next to Memphis Smoke) 106 S. Main Street Royal Oak, MI
FREE FREE FREE
5 Local Photographers Featured Live music by Theatre of the Absurd and yes, even a veggie tray
Exposure.Detroit Press Release
Name of Event: Exposure.Detroit! Category: Art/Galleries Date: Friday, November 9th Time: 7-10pm Location: Bean & Leaf Cafe, 106 S. Main St, Royal Oak Price: Free Phone Number for info: 248-586-9602 Website for info: www.flickr.com/groups/exposuredetroit
Details: Five Michigan photographers will exhibit their work which features a unique look at Detroit and the surrounding area. This free show will also feature live music from Live PA Theater of the Absurd.
More details: Exposure.Detroit launches a new photography exhibit with a grand opening celebration in Royal Oak. The five featured photographers will be on hand to unveil their work in a night of art and entertainment taking place on Friday, November 9th from 7pm to 10pm at the Bean & Leaf Cafe, 106 S. Main St, Royal Oak. The Bean & Leaf Cafe is a new coffeehouse that opened its doors in August - next to Memphis Smoke in downtown Royal Oak.
The five featured photographers are Who: Cris Rea, Joe Alisa, Ralph Krawczyk Jr., Rhonda McElroy, Sue Fraser. The show opens to the public on November 9th and runs through January 11th and will feature a wide range of styles and subjects by these Detroit area photogra
