The Dark Room: Friday, 16 January 2015
James Palmour: Reclaimed, The Dark Room’s next photography
exhibition is on display from January 9th through March 4th,
and will celebrate its opening on January 16th, 2014 with a
reception held by James, the International Photography Hall of Fame &
Museum, and curator Jason Gray.
By means of broken windows, hidden
entrances, and moments of sheer luck, James Palmour explores and photographs
the oft discarded remains of American industry and urban regress. James' current collection focuses on fringes of
the Midwestern "Rust Belt" ranging from Detroit MI, Gary IN, and St.
Louis itself. Influenced by the likes of historic preservationist and architectural
photographer Richard Nickel, James seeks to reclaim the stories of locations
discovered, relaying the emotion and consequence in digital form.
“There is a relationship to the built
environment that we all share as human beings; something that goes beyond our
mere habitation of constructed spaces, although in alignment with that
experience. Buildings reflect our aspirations as a society, as well as,
project our disappointment when those expectations fall short.
When cities disavow their architectural
commitments, the implications for citizens far exceeds the immediate result of
having abandoned buildings dot the landscape. As these structures are
left behind for a period of years, they rust and decay, and eventually become
dangerous for future habitation. They may harbor illicit activities that
present increased crime for neighboring communities. Ultimately, many
buildings are demolished (the rate of rehabilitation or reconstruction is
exponentially less). Psychologically, this process is a sort of violence
committed against those persons who continue to live nearby. Imagine the
feeling of isolation for a person growing up in a house, on a city block, where
all of the other homes have been demolished. Similarly, imagine leaving
your residence every day, to pass by the pile of rubble and twisted metal that
was once the factory where generations of your family had careers- where you
may have once had a job, and hoped for a career, as well.
"It is this confluence of the past and
present, as well as its psychological impact, that interests St. Louis based
photographer, James Palmour. For several years, Palmour has been
conducting work inside of abandoned structures in cities throughout the
Midwest, all along looking for the linkages that connect what the buildings
have become to what they once were. His work shares similarities with
other architectural and preservationist photographers, like Richard Nickel (the
Chicago-based artist who perished when a portion of the Chicago Stock Exchange
collapsed on him). However, the desire to document the fleeting moments
of our collective history in picture form is long and varied, and likely a
facet of the motivation behind photography's initial invention.”
-- Jason Gray, Curator
Monday: closed; Tuesday-Thursday: 4pm-11pm; Friday-Saturday: 4pm-12am;
Sunday: Open on some Sundays during high theater season. Check social media & website for updates.
615 N. Grand Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63013
posted by Bill Barrett at 2:55 PM
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