Train Series 06/23/08

For the past 3 years I have been working on a series of landscapes centered on the industrial train yards of the U.S. For over 50 years the men of my family have worked on trains. Growing up I lived on a cul-de-sac with train tracks at the end. Every night I lay in bed listening to the rhythm of the train engine and shrill whistle while trying to fall asleep. It has become part of my thoughts and memories of home and family.

As my Grandfathers have gotten older and their health has declined, I have found myself drawn to the industrial spaces of train yards impelled to take pictures. These emotional landscapes are meditations on aging, solitude, death and decay. They are shot with black and white medium-format film using my Hasselblad camera. The train yards include: Kansas City, Independence, Nashville, Asheville, Wilmington, and Durham.