The Blog of the Rhode Island Photographic Survey

Curiouser Review -- Boston Globe

2011-01-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

"Curiouser" gets a nice write up in today's Boston Globe. This group show will be up at the Museum of Natural History in Providence's Roger Williams Park through September 2011.

Bye bye Kodachrome

2010-12-30T09:58:00.001-08:00

Bye bye Kodacrhome
Originally uploaded by e_pics

[right] Kodachrome slides taken in Marida Mexico, in the Yucatan. Shot with an OM-4 and processed at the Kodalux lab in Findlay Ohio in 1988.

Sometime today the last roll of Kodachrome film will be developed at Dwayne's Photo in Parsons Kansas. It is the final end of an era. Much like John Lennon's quip about Elvis, for me they killed Kodachrome when Kodachrome 25 was discontinued. That was in 2001. In reality I had long before switched to E6 films.

I learned photography shooting Kodachrome. I took pictures of trains with my dad and my uncle John, in those days you weren't a serious railfan unless you were shooting Kodachrome. We shared images via slideshows and that's what the magazines wanted, not that I ever felt good enough to submit images to any magazines. The credit in the rail magazines wasn't just "photo by..." it was "kodachrome by ..."

I think shooting slides is a great way to learn photography, you see very clearly what changes in exposure can do, what differences in the color temperature of light can do, what color can do, what light itself can do. There was also that excitement in getting the yellow box, and the smell! Memories.

My family shot stills, slides, we didn't do home movies at all, so that is something I've come to later in my life. If you haven't had the experience, home movies on Kodachrome are amazing. Simple, magical slices of time. There really is nothing else like that. That ends today too.

I am happy to say that among the mountain of film that Dwayne's got this week is one roll of slides and three rolls of super 8 film from me. Film shot in tribute to the great American invention: Kodachrome, and for a life happily spent (so far!) in photography.

Farewell Kodachrome.

Camera Obscura by Design

2010-10-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday October 9
ISB Parking lot - at the corner of North Main and Waterman Providence
across from the bus tunnel

10:00 to 3:00, rain or shine, free and open to the public.

check out some pics here, but better to see it in "real time".

bike tour video

2010-08-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Gallery Night Providence Bike Tour from erik gould on Vimeo.

Talking Back

2010-07-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Ever want to talk back at work?

So the economy pretty much sucks right now, maybe you have a job, or maybe you are looking for one, or maybe your hours have been cut, but we all have work to do. Sometimes it’s work with a capital “W”. Sometimes it’s just a dirty job and someone has to do it.
As part of a project looking at the impact of the Great Recession (or whatever this is) I am talking to people, all sorts of people about their jobs and their work.
What does work mean you? What do you think about on the job? What would you say to your job if you could?

I’m currently collecting audio interviews and taking pictures, and I would love to talk to you, dear reader. If you are interested, get in touch... OR if you can:

Stop by my booth at the indiearts fest, Providence RI, July 31.
12 noon to 8:00 PM. info: http://indieartsfest.com/

Hope to see you there!

Background music by AREA C.

Gallery Night Bike [photo] tour

2010-06-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Wheelers, it has fallen to me to lead the second ever Providence Gallery Night bike tour. On this tour, in which we endeavor to cover the waterfront, and all within the brief span of two short hours we shall visit art galleries of great renown such as: Launch Gallery, Bert Gallery, Gallery Belleau and Peaceable Kingdom AND more.

We will also see such landmarks as the corner of Roger and Williams and the Narragansett Improvement Company, as well as numerous sites where such and such used to was. Will wonders never cease?

Well, probably eventually, but... Did I mention: you, you and your bike are invited? Because you are, and it will be much more fun for all of us if you join in.

There will be riding, yes and places to rest and refresh ourselves as well and the evening promises to be historic, folkloric and if so inclined, caloric.

Where do we start? At the Regency Plaza in downtown Providence. Where? you may well ask... here is a helpful google map. The tour will also conclude at this very same location.

When?: Thursday, June 17. Tour commences at 5:30 PM.

Bring your helmet if you have one, if you don't, why don't you?

Bring a camera too.

For a complete rundown of Gallery Night activity follow this linkage.

Projo Review

2010-03-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

The Providence Journal's Bill Van Siclen reviews the Fidelity Investments show at the Art Club. Mentioning our photographer he says: "In purely physical terms, for example, Erik Gould’s “20 Roadside Memorials” is one of the show’s larger entries. Yet it’s the small details — the close-ups of crosses, candles and other tokens of remembrance — that make this grid-like array of photographs at once so fascinating and so poignant."

Here is the whole review.

(i corrected his spelling -ed.)

20 Roadside Memorials @ Art Club

2010-02-28T18:01:00.001-08:00

20 Roadside Memorials
Originally uploaded by e_pics

On view now at the Providence Art Club.

The latest iteration of the Memorials grid. Opened today, up through March 19.

This work was chosen to be included in the annual Fidelity Investments juried show.

Recovery Act Works -- One year on

2010-02-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

Survey gets RISCA Project Grant

2010-01-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

Amid a busy summer and fall where I had my hours cut, I worked for Obama's Recovery program, was mesmerized by the balloon boy and tried my best to keep track of Tiger's friends with benefits, I've also been working on something else. We received a State Council on the Arts Project grant to examine and relate the effect of the Great Recession on this great state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. We are humbled and thankful and working steadily along. More will follow, rest assured.

Arnold Block in trouble?

2009-10-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Arnold block on Washington street in downtown Providence is at risk. The building suffered a fire and little seems to be happening in the way of repairs. This distinctive building is a block wide but only about one room deep, and it conceals a parking lot. Were it to come down it would open up a hole in the street scape much larger than it's limited square footage might indicate.

in better days...

infestations of bad feng shui

2009-10-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

The show at AS220 gets a review in the Providence Phoenix. Postcards from the Mohawk Valley gets a mention, positive or negative? you decide: "Erik Gould's hardcover collection of black-and-white photos Postcards of the Mohawk Valley documents war monuments and parking lots and sad small town main streets, infested with pawn shops and signs and bad feng shui."

Holly Ewald show at AS220

2009-10-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

Open now at the AS220 Project Space in Providence:

Languages of the Land

New Installation by Holly Ewald ..... you don't want to miss it...

also showing: In Place Everywhere An Artist's book show

Our Mohawk Valley book is on view, check it out.

Postcards from the Mohawk Valley -- The book

2009-09-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

Postcards from...

By Erik Gould

Book Preview

The Mohawk Valley. Gateway to the West when the West was in the East. Travel along with our photographer as he makes a personal exploration of the 95 mile course of the Mohawk river between Schenectady and Rome. Geography made this area of New York State a natural transportation corridor. From Iroquois trail, to the Erie canal, to the Water Level Route of the New York Central and the New York State Thruway, millions of people and millions of tons of goods have passed through the valley. It's an area rich in history and is blessed with natural beauty, and it's an area that is struggling to adapt to changing economies. As the speed of transportation increases the Mohawk Valley has become a place passed through and a place passed by. There is a sense, and one can see this in Gould's photographs, that this is a place that time has forgot. Take a look, and share your thoughts. This Blurb book has 80 pages printed on their premium stock with a hardcover binding. Available now. Images and text by Erik Gould.

PRC Juried Publication!

2009-09-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Postcards from the Mohawk Valley

We are proud to announce that an image from our new series Postcards from the Mohawk Valley has been selected for the Photographic Resource Center Juried Publication. This publication is available now all around the Boston area and through the PRC.

Postcards from the Mohawk Valley is a series of text and images from the picturesque and damaged Mohawk Valley region of upstate New York. This project is more a personal exploration rather than documentary survey and represents 5 years of work executed during our photographer's "free time". A preview slide show can be seen here or click on the image above. A book version will be coming soon! More details to follow.

Meanwhile -- Thank you PRC!

What I did over my summer vacation

2009-09-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Well, to start, I didn't take a vacation... I worked for Providence instead. I lead a team of young photographers as part of a city Summer Youth Employment program. Because of the recession the city expanded the summer programs to include the arts. Go Providence!

This is the City Photo Crew.

Over 8 weeks in July and August went all over the city shooting digital photos, videos and instant film.

Thank you to Yessenia, Jossmill, Amber, Markia, Kenny and Hayden. Thanks too to my assistants Hannah and Brett. Lots of work and Lots of fun.

Check out the work on our youtube channel. follow the link or tune in to 09photocrew.

For more info on the city program follow this linkage: press release
also, the Mayor's wrap up press conference. mayor speaks

and I have to give a shout out to my fellow project artists: the tapeart crew. They did some amazing things with their group check it out here. Look at Ocean Riser... incredible!

All this and more possible in part because of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act -- The Stimulus Program.

Chimi Trucks on Broad Street

2009-07-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

Photo essay by Erik, John, Jesse and Adrienne is up now on the new Providence Creative Capital online magazine. Pictures and audio!

Kodachrome RIP

2009-06-22T15:00:00.001-07:00

Narragansett Electric sign
Originally uploaded by e_pics

Kodak retires Kodachrome. The King is dead.

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090622-707645.html

What remains

2009-05-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

Gorham Carriage house fire
Originally uploaded by e_pics

Here is the scene on April 16th. Nothing much left of the Gorham carriage house. Officials were there and they wouldn't let me past the fence. No matter, it was a total loss.

Gorham carriage house destroyed by fire

2009-04-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

The carriage house at the former Gorham Manufacturing site was destroyed by fire Wednesday night. The Providence Journal is reporting that the fire is suspicious in origin. The 1890 structure was the last of 35 buildings that once occupied the 11 acre site near Elmwood Ave. in Providence. The building was being renovated to be the home of the Providence Fire Museum. The paper also reports that anything remaining of the structure will be demolished on Friday.

On view at Providence Art Club

2009-03-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Now on view at the Providence Art Club. Pinhole images made with a trashcan pinhole camera.

Up through March 27, 2009

see another image here.

Enduring value

2009-02-09T16:07:00.001-08:00

This is a rubbing taken from a sidewalk near our studio in Pawtucket. These markers can be found all over Rhode Island, on bridges, underpasses, piers, in state parks and in town squares. Many of these markers are found on modest public works like sidewalks, easily taken for granted. No reason why we shouldn't take them for granted, but consider that these constructions have been serving us for 70+ years. How do you measure the return on such an investment? How many lives have been saved by a railroad underpass? What kind of dollar figure can be put on a stand of trees planted by the CCC? What is a sidewalk worth to a neighborhood? Can one honestly say that the money spent during the Depression was just stolen from future generations who got nothing in return?

Our sidewalk here is still in good condition but many of these projects are reaching the end of their service. We could do well to emulate the eduring legacy these WPA plaques represent. It is remarkable that many of the people who criticize this type of public investment are the very same people who thought it was a good idea to airlift pallets of cash into Iraq, money never to be seen again.

Let's spend the People's money on the People and do some nation (re)building here at home.

For more on the WPA and the New Deal I point you to Nick Taylor's book: American Made.

Want to voice your opinion on the stimulus program? Call the Congressional switchboard:
202-224-3121

Dr. Downtown needs a chill pill

2009-02-05T14:25:00.001-08:00

The RISD Chace Center... Providence Journal critic David Brussat has taken a few not unexpected shots at this building, in fact he has been downright mean. His assessment is neither thoughtful nor well argued but he does write for the state's only major newspaper and so it is difficult to ignore his self-absorbed ramblings. In short, his criticism boils down to something to the effect of: "this facade doesn't fit my narrow idea of beauty, therefore it is junk." This is his basic boilerplate. Sometimes, as was the case with the Chace Center, he adds this nifty addendum: "anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool, oh and by the way, the emperor seems to be naked." Well, Dr. Downtown is wrong again, but don't take my word for it. Other more qualified critics have weighed in with favorable reviews but don't just take their words either. Keep an open mind and go see it for yourself: walk around the outside of building, go up the stairs, explore the terrace and the other interesting public spaces on the way to Benefit street. By all means go inside! Check out the galleries and look out the windows. If you do that you will have done much more than Brusset took the trouble to do.

Watch the Inauguration

2009-01-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

Big day! The first of many. This will be a busy year for RIPS too, hopefully I will keep up with reporting it here... but first things first let's watch Mr. Obama take office!

edit: hulu link removed because they get on my nerves.

Electoral College Map

2008-10-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

270 wins it...

Ralph Stanley endorses Obama

2008-10-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

A big hero of mine...Listen and download here: Ralph speaks the truth.

see some found ground

2008-09-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

found ground premiere

2008-09-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

A collaborative effort with area c has resulted in found ground: large scale video projections in transitional urban spaces. Showing September 17-20 in downtown Providence.

More info here.

Lovely StrangeLoop

2008-09-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

the loop gets a writeup in the bahston globe.

Cryptic Providence!

2008-06-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Haven't we all thought that? Check out what we have been up to digging around in the North Burial Ground, figuratively of course... Info HERE...

Yankee Doodle Diner needs your help

2008-02-18T15:08:00.001-08:00

Originally uploaded by motelrodeo

Warehouse coming down....A Rant

2008-01-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it's happening, the Produce Warehouse is coming down. Shortly after the Judge gave the go ahead demolition began. How is it that it can take months to get a contractor going on even the smallest of projects yet there always seems to be a demolition crew ready to go at a moments notice. Weekends, holidays, midnight? No problem.

Demolition was forced to pause for a little bit when Eric Bright and Clay Rockefeller (and their dogs) climbed on to the roof. They were hoping to buy some time for a State appeal, but no appeal was filed. Nice try anyway, guys. Good to see someone from PPS get involved and get out there, seems like a while since they have been vocal on a demolition issue.

A lot of questions remain around this case. What did the developer agree to regarding preservation? How does a structure become so "unsound" so quickly? With a State budget in crisis and furloughs looming, why does a property get sold at a price below its value on the basis of a vague promise to redevelop?

Finally, why does it seem that the ProJo always comes down on the wrong side of an issue? In two pieces in todays opinion section they make it clear that they only care about pretty buildings that rich people once lived in. In the editorial they state "We shed no tears for the 79-year-old structure..." while at the same time bemoaning the fact that a parking lot now occupies the site of the former Police and Fire headquarters. Well, if you do nothing, don't be surprised when buildings are razed.

The column by David Brussart expands on this narrow-minded vision (expand on narrow-mindedness?). He states flatly: "Don't save the produce terminal". Basing his judgement on the evidence of a few renderings he dismisses out of hand any idea of adaptive reuse. He states "So if its exterior were no longer going to look as it did when it was still in use, then what good would it be as a historical artifact? Not much." I say, a lot. First, I reject the idea that it would not be possible to maintain the look of the building in reuse. The extreme proportions, the art deco elements cast into the exterior, the distinctive profile of the roof line, all of this could be kept quite recognizable. No one is looking to keep the building as a museum piece. Secondly, it has great value because it connects us to our past, it is real in a way that buildings like the Providence Place Mall will never be. This is our heritage, built for an honest hard working purpose, not a sham echo of something it is not. This is not a decorated box, which is almost surely what we will get in the place of the warehouse. This building has character which could be imparted onto a new enterprise. People could go there once again to do things and in so doing they could look around and understand what people once did, and perhaps feel some connection to those who came before.

Brussart also states that the building should come down because it isn't beautiful. Well, I disagree, and so do many others, judging by the comments on Urban Planet. Anyway, that is in the eye of the beholder for sure. As to his other points, I'll finish with a particularly idiotic passage where he says: "If you can’t demolish a building like the produce warehouse, what can you demolish? Yet, to construct new buildings without threatening more and more green space requires demolishing existing buildings. Better they be ugly ones." So this building has to come down to protect green space. Tree hugger.

David, do you want to demolish some buildings? I suggest almost anything on Route 2 from Cranston to South County would be a good start. Leave the properties on the National Register of Historic Places alone.

Providence Eye?

2008-01-17T16:37:00.001-08:00

Wednesdays ProJo reported a proposal to build a new type of parking structure in downtown Providence. The distictive feature is a Ferris Wheel like structure to hold vehicles.

London Eye and Thames originally uploaded by Orhan
I say why not go one step more and build a Providence Eye? What could be better than a spectactular view of the city from the seat of one's own car? (15 bucks a day, 12 for the early bird).

Serious Threat to Produce Terminal

2008-01-13T10:26:00.000-08:00

In Better times: pictures from the RIPS Archives of the Terminal taken in May, 1998. A corner of the Silver Top diner can be seen on the right of the lower picture.

It seems very likely that the Produce Terminal in Providence will be demolished very soon, perhaps within the coming week. The fate of the historic 1929 structure is in the hands of a State Judge, who will hold a hearing on Monday. The city of Providence has granted the owner, Carpionato Properties a demolition permit. This, despite an apparent agreement with the State to redevelop the property.

Once again we see the familar pattern: buy a property at a reduced price, promise whatever it takes, do nothing to secure the property for a year or two, and then demand a demoltion permit because the property has become "structurally unsound" . If necessary, get the Sunday and Midnight wrecking crew on the scene before the community can intervine.

We will see what happens here. I'm afraid it won't be good.

Here is the full story from the Friday Providence Journal.

Much more detail, pics and commentary at Art in Ruins.

And there is a great discussion going at Urban Planet.

Shadow Show Talk at E32 in NYC

2008-01-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

The Real Art Ways exhibition The Shadow Show will be featured in a artists talk at E32 in New York City next week.

When: Tuesday, January 15.
from 8-10 PM

About E32: E32 is an artists' talk and projection series that takes place Every 3rd 2sday of the month, 8pm, at 5C Cultural Center Lounge, 68 Avenue C, at 5th street and C

F/V train to 2nd Ave/Walk East on Houston toward Ave C/Left on Ave C to 5th St.

No cover charge – free will donation.

More here

About the Shadow Show:
Sixteen artists, many from Providence, Rhode Island, and others from Connecticut and New York explore a range of associations with the word and idea of "shadow." Included will be work in which physical shadows either play an integral part, or the ideas of shadow, as in tail, trace, surveillance, mystery, memory and longing, are explored. The exhibition will work on multiple levels, addressing visual mystery, but also hidden systems in society. Includes painting, sculpture, video, new media, installation. Curated by Kristina Newman-Scott and Elizabeth Keithline

We got a review in the New York Times over the weekend:
Check it out.

10 most overdue post

2008-01-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

Most Endangered Properties Traveling Exhibit heads to the Wayland Neighborhood

After its successful debut at the John Nicholas Brown Center on College Hill, the photography exhibit is traveling to the Twist on Angell Restaurant at 500 Angell Street near Wayland Square in Providence.

The exhibit will be on display January 4- 31

Twist will host an opening reception featuring creative appetizers on Thursday, January 10, 5:30- 7:30 p.m. The reception is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

The Most Endangered Properties Traveling Exhibit includes a selection of the best photographs from the Most Endangered Properties Gallery Exhibit and features images and status updates for all eleven properties on the 2007 PPS Most Endangered List. The goal of the Traveling Exhibit is to eventually reach all twenty-five Providence neighborhoods. The show will be on display in public spaces such as cafes, galleries, and colleges.

More info here

Photographers:
Michael Cevoli, David Ellis, Stephanie Ewens, Peter Goldberg, Erik Gould, Matt Kierstead assisted by Alyssa Wood and Mardo Atoyan, Scott Lapham, Brian McDonald, Frank Mullin, David Simione, and Olivia Sauerwein Winter

This is the mini version of a very nice show. I have had the honor to be part of this program since its inception. Stop in to Twist and check it out.

Film is Not Dead -- the Software -- FND

2007-12-07T08:36:00.001-08:00

Our friend Paul pointed this out to me and I thought it worth passing on, if for nothing else but the chance to say Film is Not Dead once more. This is software for Leopard only, so I can't test it just yet.
Here is the link: http://bambooapps.com/fnd/

Shadow Show at Real Art Ways

2007-11-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

Up now in Hartford at Real Art Ways is the Shadow Show. Our contribution is shown here, a group of light boxes entitled In Plain Sight (summer 2007).

The show runs until Groundhog Day (2/2/08) 2008. There is a review.

And another here.

Shacks at the Danforth Museum--We do quirky right

2007-09-09T07:10:00.001-07:00

20 Parking Shacks are featured in the 2007 New England
Photography Biennial at the Danforth Museum of Art

September 9 - October 28, 2007

Jurors : Karen Haas Curator of the Lane Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Arlette Kayafas Director of the Kayafas Gallery, Boston

The show opened last night and we had a lot of fun on a very sultry late summer evening. Met lots of great folks. The show got a write up in the Boston Globe, read the full review

An excerpt:

Ask Karen Haas, curator of the Museum of Fine Arts Lane Collection, about the range of work chosen, and the excitement in her voice is palpable.

"Some of the work that we particularly loved felt very personal," said Haas, who cocurated this year's biennial with Arlette Kayafas, director of Kayafas Gallery of Boston. "For example, Robert Knight basically goes into people's homes with their permission, but without knowing them . . . and photographs their possessions and objects of meaning, and the images he captures are really very telling and really quite beautiful in the way they capture the light."

She goes on to discuss newcomer Josh Winer, who creates "fascinating images out of piles of raw materials with no sense of context, so you have no idea whether you're looking at a pile of sand or a mountain of it."

Then there's Amber Davis Tourlentes's portraits of alternative families, who she photographs while grouped together on a stage.

Or Erik Gould, who "takes the banal and makes it quirky" with a series of photos of, say, parking shacks.

Featured today on flakphoto

2007-07-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Bradford pear trees recently shown at the PRC are featured today on flakphoto

at the Describing the Dreyfus opening-- Show extended!

2007-07-02T16:45:00.001-07:00

at the Describing the Dreyfus opening
Originally uploaded by AS220

The opening was loads of fun. That's my stuff on the wall in the back. The big guy in the middle is Stuart of iolabs who did the printing. I wouldn't trust my prints with anyone else.

The show has been extended to July 14th. Check it out.

Describing the Dreyfus

2007-06-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

The show opens this week!

AS220 Project Space 93 Mathewson St.
Providence www.as220.org

June 20-27 2007

Opening Reception: Wednesday June 20, 7-9 pm

Gallery hours: Noon- 6pm Tuesday - Friday
Noon- 4pm Saturday and by appointment

About the project:

This has been an 18 month photography project undertaken by the AS220 DARKROOM. Beginning in December 2005 a team of photographers, which has included several young photographers from the Photographic Memory program, have individually photographed the Dreyfus Hotel. The only request made of each participating artist was that their work be inspired by the Dreyfus Hotel and that their finished work be in the form of still photographs. Both documentary and aesthetic in nature, their images have created a unique record of the transformation of this handsome turn of the 20th century hotel into a vibrant mixed use arts complex that has undergone a stunning historic restoration at the turn of the 21st century.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
PAUL CLANCY, DAVID ELLIS, ERIK GOULD, SCOTT LAPHAM, SUSAN MOBLEY PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY

It's Flag Day!

2007-06-14T08:07:00.001-07:00

flag 02
Originally uploaded by e_pics

June 14th. In honor of that here are some tidbits on Old Glory:

What Is a Flag?

According to the National Flag Code, the flag of the United States is any flag of the United States, or any part thereof, made of any substance, of any size, accurate or not, that is recognized as a flag by the reasonable observer.

(What other flags of the US are there? There is, or was, an American Civil Flag. It had vertical stripes.)

The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever.

Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform.

The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.

The flag should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard.

The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.

no arguments here

2007-06-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

thanks to:christianpatterson.com by way of Leslie K. Brown for this.

A walk along Route 2

2007-06-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you Flickr for making it easy to pull things from the archives and give them a home. This Route 2 project is one such thing. Here is the story: I was invited to participate in the "America 24/7" book project. Those are those big colorful books full of puppies and kids with ice cream cones. I thought they asked the wrong guy but no, they said, we want a lot of different view points and here is some cash and an olympus digital camera and so I said o.k.. I proposed that I walk a section of state Route 2. (I also visited every doughnut shop within 5 miles of Providence City Hall, there are over 50, but that is another piece).

Rhode Island’s Route 2 has become in effect the state’s “Main St.” Since the 1960’s much of the state’s commercial activity has shifted to a ten mile stretch of the road. Rhode Island’s first mall was built there, and then the state's second mall, built right next door. Route 2 leads south from Providence through the older suburbs of Cranston into the town of Warwick, where open spaces attracted the developers of housing tracts and retail plazas. Reflecting a time when towns were a bit farther apart the road changes names frequently over the ten mile stretch that I walked, shifting from Reservoir Road in Cranston to New London Ave., to Bald Hill Road and finally to Quaker Lane. I photographed along Route 2 in two phases. On May 15 of 2003 I walked south from a shopping and housing development in Cranston called Garden City. This development was built in the bowl of land left behind by the state’s only coal mine. Across the street are the derelict stone buildings of the former Sockanassett Facility for Boys,(these have now been redeveloped) followed by the state prison, referred to locally as the “aye-see-eye”, the Adult Correctional Institution. Just beyond that is a mini golf course. And then the retail action gets underway.

Like many such roads Route 2 is a harsh place for a pedestrian. Sidewalks begin and end with no connections between, crosswalks are infrequent and then disappear all together. Traffic moving at or above the speed limit of 45 mph seems much faster from the shoulder. Even though many stop lights do not have crosswalks, thoughtful traffic engineers have still provided curb cuts, so in case one is traveling in a wheel chair that can do 0-60 in less than 5 seconds one could still cross the street. The rest of us have merely to wait for a break in traffic, and then run like hell. This is a harsh road for motorists as well. MapQuest.com states the 7.8 miles I walked the first day can be driven in 11 minutes, and that may be true at 4:00 am, but on most days the trip takes much longer, and the frustration is clear at each stop light. On May 16th I walked north from Garden City through the heart of Cranston into Providence. This is the older stretch, the buildings are smaller and closer together and generally closer to the street. Interspersed are houses. These houses are rather lost. They are surrounded by parking lots and some have surrendered completely, giving way to hair salons and real estate offices. Some surprisingly are still lived in, I see their occupants working on their yards, seemingly oblivious to the roar of traffic that drowns out lawn mowers and most coherent thought. These places are however, as the realtors say, close to shopping.
Still one can see the older streetscape eroding as newer stores move in, with their setbacks to provide convenient parking up front. Shabby in parts, shiny and new in others, Route 2 is a reflection of the commercial hopes and desires of Rhode Islanders.

A small handful of these pictures made it (thumbnail size) into the 24/7 book, which can still be found in bargain bins across the country.

Exposure 2007!

2007-06-09T17:23:00.001-07:00

Exposure 2007!

Originally uploaded by PRCBoston

The Pear trees get some Exposure in Boston at the PRC. Up now through July 1, 2007. http://www.bu.edu/prc/

Alco? I don't think so...

2007-02-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

A few words about the "American Locomotive Works " (ALCO) development project now underway on Valley St. in Providence. Once upon a time there was a railroad locomotive factory on part of this site. This was the Rhode Island Locomotive Works, founded in 1866 and located on Hemlock Street. Between 1866 and 1899 the company produced some 3400 steam locomotives. In 1901 the company was merged with several other locomotive builders to form the American Locomotive Company, headquartered in Schenectady NY. At this point the Rhode Island works had already begun to diversify, shifting production towards a line of automobiles and trucks. This move was ultimately unsuccessful, and the Providence factory closed in 1907.

By the time American Locomotive became officially known as ALCO Products in 1955, and even before that, when the locomotive depicted on the SBER banners (a diesel, model DL-109) was produced in the 1940's, locomotive production on this site was just a distant memory. Only one small building remains with any connection to RI Locomotive Works. SBER Co. may well wish to market the idea that their tenants are living and working in a restored locomotive factory. They may even fill it with big murals of steam and diesel locomotives. While I have no objection to murals of locomotives, this notion is just a developers fiction, a kind of Disneyfication of our industrial heritage. Most of the buildings on the site were built by the U.S. Rubber Co. Perhaps that is the history that should be celebrated (or exploited, as the case may be) here. Meanwhile, back in Schenectady, the real ALCO plant sits largely unused, having closed for good in 1969. It was at this site that the company built more steam locomotives than any other builder. This factory built the famous "Big Boy" locomotives, the world's largest, and built tanks during WWI and WWII. It was ALCO, alone of any of the U.S. steam locomotive builders that successfully made the transition to diesel manufacturing. Hopefully someday this site and this history will be preserved and celebrated as it should.

One more note on the locomotive depicted on the banners. The banners show a stylized but pretty accurate DL-109, which is an interesting choice. The New Haven Railroad (NYNH&H) owned by far the largest group of these engines, 60 out of 74 produced. They saw many years of service on the Boston to New York mainline, passing quite close to the site along Harris Ave. This line is now part of Amtrak's northeast corridor route.
photo of New Haven DL-109 from: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/

Lack of Vision will Sink the Station

2007-02-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

More on the Pawtucket - Central Falls train station. First, some background: Built in 1915 by the NYNH&H Railroad, this station has some unique aspects that have had an impact on its current sorry state. As can be seen in the pictures, the main portion of the building straddles the rail-bed. Staircases led down to platforms below the main concourse. Two wings extend out from the north side of the building on either side of the tracks, giving the station a "U" shape footprint. Much of the structure sits in the airspace over the railroad tracks. With transfer of the railroad property progressing from the New Haven to Penn Central and then to Amtrak when Conrail was formed ownership of the station itself has at times been unclear. Although Amtrak never owned the structure, recent court hearings revealed the fact that Amtrak asserts the right to review any demolition plans, citing a deed restriction placed on the property in 1972. Amtrak took complete ownership of the railroad right-of-way in 1976.

Another aspect of the site that has played into its fate is the fact that it spans the Pawtucket - Central Falls city line. Roughly about 1/3 of the building lies on the Central Falls side. When the station opened, it was heralded as a gift to the people of both cities. The station and related track improvements eliminated a dangerous grade crossing at Broad street and the site was chosen to please both city governments. Yet this fact has prevented either city from taking any action since the station closed, further compounding a situation of severe neglect. The station has been left to decay since the 1960's, with portions seeing some occasional use as a flea market and a pentecostal church. It also should be stated that it may likely be that had the station resided in one city or the other, it would be gone now.

Now to its current status. A developer now owns the site, and their plans, for a start, include building a CVS store on the north (Central Falls) side of the property. To make way for parking some of the building would have to be demolished, according to the developer. The developer had surveyors spray-paint the city line across the building as a guide for demolition. This came into play a day before the Pawtucket City Council was to vote on the Mayors plan to take possession of the building through eminent domain. The developer, clearly looking to change the facts on the ground before the vote obtained a demolition permit from the City of Central Falls and sent a demolition company to work on the northwest wing of the station. The City of Pawtucket obtained a court order for a temporary stay, but not until significant damage was done. The vote for eminent domain failed, and now the station sits in limbo, awaiting a possible settlement between the city and the developers, or further court hearings. The most recent news reports negotiation on the issue of creating parking spaces. Naturally, where to park the car? That is the burning issue of our time.

More details on the hearings can be found here: http://pads02860.org/
Also here: http://www.gcpvd.org/

All of this strikes me as another depressing case of a severe lack of vision. We live in a "use and discard" culture, and outside of the preservation community that attitude extends to buildings and even to trains and railroads themselves. The language in some of the newspaper stories reporting on this very issue reflects this, referring to the station as "a relic" and implying that demolition was "inevitable" merely because the building was old and neglected. All of this despite many physical examples to the contrary that exist right in our own community. The 18th century homes on Benefit Street, Saint Maria's Home on Governor Street, The Masonic Temple, all have fallen to decay and been revived. There are many others. Think of what a sad place Providence would be without them, something like Hartford. These buildings shouldn't be allowed to deteriorate to such dismal states, and they certainly shouldn't be helped to decay by the very people charged with their upkeep.

That is exactly what happened at the Gorham site. 33 buildings spread over 30 acres, it was seen by some as "impossible" to redevelop, just another white elephant under city care. Wasn't the Renaissance underway in 1994? Yes, so said the Mayor, and Yet-- The city, or at least a part of it, allowed a salvage company in to remove all of the metal widow frames from every building, exposing the interiors to the elements. Had the buildings been buttoned up and kept secure, a mere ten years later the developers would have been lining up to take over the property so they could put fancy signs on the roof and fancy tenants inside. In an ironic twist, the Stop and Shop built on the Gorham site is now closed, perhaps the city will fight to preserve that. More recently, the Silver Spring Dye Works came down to make way for a Home Depot, complete with fake bricked in round-top windows on its street side veneer. Silver Spring was a sad loss, done in both by the distraction over the fight to save Eagle Square and the lack of any sense that an over-heated Boston real estate market would spark a condo explosion in Providence a mere two years later. At this point, even if the train station is saved, and it should be, a great opportunity will still have been lost: that of a comprehensively redeveloped site featuring a T stop, a community center and retail shops that serve as a focal point for the community, as unique point of pride, and as a greater source of revenue and profit than any single CVS store will provide. It should be acknowledged that many people in the community and in the Pawtucket city government have been working very hard to realize such a plan. That fact makes it more than a shame that what we will get, at best, is yet another chain drug store (and parking lot) shoehorned uncomfortably against a Beaux Arts gem from another age.

Save the Pawtucket/Central Falls Train Station

2006-11-30T14:11:00.000-08:00

The 1915 New Haven Railroad station on Broad Street is in serious danger of demolition. This would be a tragic loss, especially in light of the fact that the proposed development would come in the form of a CVS store. Do we need another? The train station is just one block from the Walgreens drug store that was built on the site of the historic Leroy theater. Does history have to repeat itself in this way? The train station should be restored as a working train station, connecting Central Falls and Pawtucket with the rest of the Northeast Corridor by rail once more. That is history worth repeating.

There is an important meeting December 6

Pawtucket City Council Meeting Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at 7:00 PM in Pawtucket City Hall.

For more info: http://www.pads02860.org

Car Culture Show at Hera Gallery

2006-06-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

We have some work in "Car Culture" which runs through July 8 at the Hera Gallery, 327 Main St., Wakefield.
Hours: Wed.-Fri. 1-5 and Sat. 10-4. Phone: (401) 789- 1488.

The work gets a favorable mention in the Providence Journal review of June 15.

“Another standout is Erik Gould's 20 Roadside Memorials.
True to its title, Gould's piece consists of 20 black-and-white photographs of the makeshift memorials that have become such a familiar sight along America's roadways. Fortunately, Gould's understated style preserves the dignity and poignancy of these memorials, which range from simple crosses to elaborate shrines outfitted with everything from candles and flowers to jewelry and clothing.
FINALLY, A WORD about the show's juror.
He is Bart Parker, a well-known photographer and longtime URI professor who selected the show's 20-odd works from more than 100 submissions from around the country. As is customary with juried exhibits, Parker has written a "statement" that accompanies the exhibit. Visitors will find it hanging just inside the gallery's entrance.
Unlike most such statements, this one is at once engaging, intelligent and impassioned. It begins: "Personal leverage, this we love: the telephone, the computer, television, especially the car. We have gone above and beyond to succeed with this mobile shell, our second most expensive possession, our grand export. For cars, we have done great deeds, large and small." "

Also a nice note in The Phoenix review:
By: Bill Rodriguez
6/20/2006
"Even more imposing is the block of black-and-white photographs by Erik Gould, 20 Roadside Memorials. The four-by-five grid of horizontal images gives order to the aftermath of chaos: Teddy bears tied to a telephone pole, a victim’s favorite shirt, and many roadside crosses. The violence suggested there is shouted elsewhere."

Here is Bart’s excellent Juror Statement, in full:

Bart Parker
Car Culture

Personal leverage, this we love: the telephone, the computer, television, especially the car. We have gone above and beyond to succeed with this mobile shell, our second most expensive possession, our grand export. For cars, we have done great deeds, large and small. We opened war on Iraq and Hussein while the perpetrator of 9/11 rode away on a donkey. We thought it was fine for the Bush administration to secretly establish an energy policy composed by energy industry representatives chaperoned by an ex-energy executive. We forgave Exxon. The company never paid the Valdez fine. It has earned 5 billion dollars of interest on escrowed funds while the case stalled in court. We are ready to let the "Big Three" auto makers slide on pension and health care contracts, not to mention wages. They will move to China either way. China has become the factory floor for the world. The auto companies wonder. why are we still making cares here when it's cheaper there? As they haggle. BMW. Mercedes-Benz. Toyota and other foreign auto makers build new car factories here and refurbish whole state economies. We demolished the world's largest passenger rail hierarchy, from inter-urban, once connecting the Midwest along the baselines, to coast-to-coast, north-to-south trains of renown. At one time, you could ride from New York to Bangor, Maine, by switching from one trolley system to the next. Los Angeles had the largest municipal rail system in the world, the Big Red Cars. Oil, auto and sales folks got together and tore it up in order to make a market for cars.
Watts, inhabited by people who worked up in Beverly Hills and downtown, was left with no transit and no jobs to support the purchase of cars. Burn, burn. Watts never recovered. The Zurich, Switzerland, rail station departs 1000 passenger trains daily. White flight left the city in the new Buick to build the suburbs and exurbs and the strip malls, the most pitiful American architectural manifestation. These are eaten by Wal Mart. Vast regions of America are handcuffed to the car. Shoppers now drive as far as 100 miles to shop the big box, the last store standing, except for the car dealers. Wonder why Wal Mart does not sell cars. Before television there were drive-in movie theaters. Near Yuma are miles of RVs where retired workers live and increasingly, working families with two jobs. And two cars. In the center of the region is an intersection with a gas station on each of the four corners. Sunday mornings older men come to one station or another, fill up the tank, park buy a cup of coffee and watch people come and go at the pumps. They buy a paper and drive home. In the cities some people sleep in their cars. Others live in them.
The first draft for this commentary was written while riding in a car. The car replaced the push cart and many things are sold. delivered or catered from them. If trucking came to a standstill, people in the cities would run out of food. The "sexual revolution" rode a Ford into town. There are drive-by funeral homes. A man who knew his heart was buried in his Ferrari. Probably red. We have decided to insure our cars, but not our kids' health. There are huge State Highway Patrol departments and Motor Vehicle Divisions to mother our behavior behind our individual wheels. We maintain our highways, sort of, but are incensed at how much our schools cost. The auto makers do not contribute to highway construction or repair. They do spend billions on advertising. The latest hot selling point is power running boards on Miss Exurb's SUV so that she will not scuff her Blahniks when dismounting at the lawn party after jumping the curb to park on the grass. The only time the vehicle has ever been "off road."
We have earned our cars. And the huge repair bills that attend them, for cities as well as cars. The Big Dig is, after all, the bill for a city to put itself back together again following ill-advised highway construction.
Millions of drivers, two fingers on the wheel, cell phones irradiating their brains, seat belts off, tailgate past alone into the gridlock. Down goes the gas mileage. But we have decided that $3 a gallon gas is all right. Since China and India now compete for gas, the price of a gallon may not go down, but rise. Pay up.
Consider the agenda of organized religion, the lack of constitutional separation between business and government and our car fetish. The United States may not make to the Tercentenary.
Anyway, Smoking at the pump. Drinking and driving. Zoom zoom. See you in the left lane. It's All OK. Drive Safe...

Bart Parker
North Kingstown, Rhode Island, June 2, 2006

Providence Project Postcards

2006-05-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

By request a PDF of the wall label postcards that accompanies the Providence Project exhibition is now available for download. You can get it here: wall texts web.pdf

Send us a note and tell us what you think--

Providence Journal Review

2006-04-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

The Providence Project gets some press in the Thursday April 20 Providence Journal. This piece is extracted from a story on the excellent photo show at Brown.

Art Scene by Bill Van Siclen April 20, 2006 Providence Journal

“New generation: Not that long ago, Providence could reasonably claim bragging rights as the photographic capital of New England. Two of the medium's giants, Aaron Siskind and Harry Callahan, lived in the city while teaching at the Rhode Island School of Design. They, in turn, served as a magnet for other talented photographers such as David Hanson and Henry Horenstein. Now a new generation of Providence photographers is emerging. And like Siskind and Callahan before them, they're using the city as both muse and subject. A case in point in Erik Gould, whose keen-eyed streetscapes and city scenes are currently on display at New Urban Arts. Gould, a staff photographer at the RISD Museum, obviously loves the city. Indeed, one of the pleasures of the show is trying to keep up with him as he rambles from neighborhood to neighborhood, recording everything from busy intersections to deserted construction sites. Gould is also something of an urban historian. In one of the show's most memorable pairings, a vintage photograph of Cathedral Square hangs above a contemporary shot of the same scene. The contrast between the old (busy, complex, pedestrian-friendly) and the new (dull, deserted and cut off from the life of the city) couldn't be more striking.”

full story here: http://www.projo.com/art/content/projo_20060420_artwrap20.1786a652.html

"Misuse of Heaven's Blessed Sunshine..."

2006-04-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

Special Gallery Night Reception for Providence Project

This Thursday-- April 20th 5pm- 8pm

New Urban Arts Gallery

743 Westminister St., Providence

www.newurbanarts.org

Show opening was great --

2006-04-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

For all those who made it to the opening, Thank you all for making it a really great time, and for those that couldn’t make it, the show will be up until May 5, and we will have a special mini-reception next Thursday night from 5-8 for Gallery Night. Hope to see you there.

Providence Project opens Today

2006-04-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

New work from the Survey’s Providence Project opens on Thursday April 13. Showing at New Urban Arts on Westminster St. in Providence.

www.newurbanarts.org for gallery info.

Check out the images on Flickr: