photographs by Mark Hillringhouse
Mark Hillringhouse writes:
Urban decay and desolation are captured in a broken window in the corner of a factory in Paterson, New Jersey. The interior world of the defunct factory looks out onto the exterior world of the dilapidated city. The two worlds share the same atmosphere: broken glass, brick walls and desolation.
I like the texture of the brick, the wood and the glass, all three elements mingle in a sort of disharmony. I like the urban blight of this factory town and of course the desolation. There is something more isolating in an urban setting than there is in the vastness of the desert. And there is something that feels more threatening.
I took the photo of the wall because I liked the way it symbolized layers of time. It is industrial archeology, the large sandstone block forming the oldest layer on the bottom, the ancient history of Paterson and its industrial past.
The sink was taken in a lavatory in a turn-of-the century orphanage in New Jersey. I love the ceramic bowl shape and the classic chrome and porcelain faucet handles. I can hear the splash of children wetting their faces. I can hear the flushing of toilets, the showers raining on cold hard tile.
© Mark Hillringhouse, 2006
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