Pixdar Photographies – On the footsteps of the past

 Pixdar on the footsteps of the past

“We spend all day in front, often without even lend a look … And yet, if it lingers a few moments, we take the time to look a little closer, these small quaint shops take us back, as the song of Charles Aznavour in “a time that those under 20 years can not know.”

Totally abandoned, awaiting demolition or transformed into housing, these old shops, signs and storefronts are in France as elsewhere, precious witnesses of an era. Faced with these shopping centers without any charm, which are mushrooming, it seems unimaginable to let them disappear without immortalize them. “

Mercerie

Electricité

Boulangerie

Bouchiere

Alimentation 4

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Mare Island by The World and How I Hold It

I have an affinity for Mare Island. I learned how to make a

photograph there. I developed a set of aesthetic values

there. I have tried to tame chaos there. It is an

industrial wilderness. I am alone with my thoughts and

wander aimlessly there. I watch osprey there.

Mare Island is a peninsula alongside the city of Vallejo,

California. For over a century, Mare Island was the U.S. Navy’s

Mare Island Shipyard (1891-1995). The shipyard reached an

employment peak of 40,000 workers during World War II. In 1988

Congress scaled back production and employment dropped to around

10,000 workers. When Congress ordered the base closure, the

shipyard employed 5,800 workers.

Even in the short time I have been frequenting Mare Island, many

changes have taken place, both good and bad. A number of

buildings have been razed or lost to fire.  A 6.0 magnitude

earthquake in August 2014 did considerable damage as well. On the

other hand, many buildings are or in the process of being

renovated for commercial use (mainly office space). Industry has

continued and is still growing. There is even a small artist

community taking advantage of cheap studio space to ply their

crafts.

I’m drawn to the geometry and lines of these industrial

buildings. I’m concerned with time, the effects of friction, and

the unique ‘patina’ they create. I am captivated by the flux of

what accumulates in the environment and the commingling of

organic and synthetic matter.

Ultimately, I would like my photos to allow the viewer to see the

world as it is anew.