Charlie Nicholas
Forsaken Industry, 2021
Inkjet Prints
6 x 8 inches each
I am often drawn to artists who document their surroundings as opposed to those who meticulously construct each frame. Robin Friend, a British landscape and documentary photographer, has a project called Bastard Countryside that strives to illustrate the modern British countryside, an environment conducive to the juxtaposition of the old and new. This project forced me to observe my surroundings in a similar way, searching for these juxtapositions.
What I found was that in the city of Santa Monica, particularly near Crossroads, old remnants of a once vibrant industrial economy still remain. Warehouses, once containing a plethora of plastic products, are now occupied by some creative think tank. Old glass companies, on the cusp of financial ruination, are struggling for survival. I was entirely unaware that these businesses were ever there, let alone somewhat still in operation.
Shot on 4x5 film, this project aims to capture some of those industrial elements, long forgotten, that surround Crossroads. Over the course of 3 shoots, I was able to get 3 frames that met my standard. The process included loading the film into holders in a dark bag, lugging the camera to the locations, composing each shot, sliding the film holder into the camera, and taking the shot.
I find it interesting how my photographic process is a metaphor for the business models of my subjects. The process in which these images were made is outdated, entirely unnecessary, esoteric and these businesses are manufacturing their respective products in the very same way.
This project, for me, has brought about many periods of reflection on the relationship between humans, communities and industrial elements that exist in their midst. These elements are often overlooked, as they were intended to be, however, with this project, I hope to unveil them in their true form.
