Good Morning, Durham

Durham, North Carolina is a place of intrigue. Revitalized and vibrant, though often misunderstood, and at times misrepresented, this is a legacy of its long and colourful history. Recently, Durham has seen much change, a revamped downtown, wonderful tree-lined neighbourhoods, a budding art scene, and some great restaurants. Still present are signs of urban decay. Could these be waiting for the next cycle of renewal?

Urban decay and renewal for me are both a part of a cyclical process. Each dependent on the other, this is a theme that I explore using both photography and painting. Last weekend, I went out looking out for more spaces revolving around this theme, focusing on the city of Durham. I convinced a good friend who recently moved to downtown Durham to show me around at the unearthly time of 6 am (which is seriously early for me, amazing what the promise of good coffee can get people to do), in a bid to catch some of the good early morning light. This post highlights some of these efforts.

For me, the intent is to capture the decaying, broken down aspect from a point of view that accentuates their unusual beauty and abstract qualities. These spaces add to the complex character of that city. While some would say that such images only serve to highlight the negativity associated with Durham, the opposite line of reasoning would be to consider the potential of re-growth. The unused train lines could be interpreted as a sense of direction, movement, or even the reconstruction of the Durham Amtrak station in the last year. Broken down windows, rusted walls and decaying doors may convey desolation, or could point to the re-emergence of a new downtown. For me, the intent is always to locate and present the imprint of people on this space over time.