Today's Feature: Watt & Shand #4

Today's feature is Watt & Shand #4. It's one of the larger works in the series, at 50"h x 52"w, as I had a lot to say about this set of images from September 2007

At this point in the construction process the facade had been stabilized, the interior of the former department store demolished, and preliminary work had begun on the foundations of the new building. Preserved in its entirety and later incorporated into the convention center was the historic Montgomery House on the left.

These images seemed like naturals for cyanotype prints, which evoke the original blueprints likely used when the building was first constructed.

I love the way you can see remnants of the original paint colors used in the interiors, especially some pale greens and buff tones that had a heavy influence on the color palette for this work. I also like how at first glance it's difficult to ascertain what it is you are looking at--it could perhaps be a decaying European street scene.

I went to the top of a neighboring parking garage to get these pictures. Here's a wider shot that shows the huge construction crane that's evident in some of the panels. The tall building in the background is the Greist building, a 14 floor beaux arts building designed by C. Emlen Urban--when it was first built, and for a long time afterwards, country people would come into Lancaster city to marvel at our very own skyscraper. The new convention center has relegated it to the status of the second tallest building in town.

Watt & Shand #4, along with 8 other in the series, will be debuting at the Lancaster Arts Hotel Gallery a week from today with an opening reception on the 19th, with a special reception on the 25, and a First Friday reception on 4/2. I'm really looking forward to meeting some of you there!