About the Book
Since the Sears Power House, there has been the Coleman Company Factory and the Damen Grain Silo. All these structures contain a beauty that seems to come from neglect and disuse. The patina and silence are sometimes overwhelming, given the scale. And they all offer a glimpse into the past, showing in no uncertain terms, how we arrived at the present.
Starting with the most recent, the Damen Grain Silo, in Chicago, remains a mystery to me. With the silo’s proximity to the river, it must have been a major component of a grain storage and distribution facility. According to the graffiti, it has been empty since at least 2000.
Next, the Coleman Company Factory, in downtown Wichita, served as the headquarters and production center for the Coleman Company’s lanterns and camping gear. With the company’s departure in 1990, the building sat dormant for over twenty years. In 2011, the building was
demolished in order to create a parking lot.
And finally, completed in 1905 as one of four main buildings of the George Nimmons designed Sears, Roebuck & Co. complex, the “Sears Power House” supplied heating and cooling for the 55-acre Sears complex until the company’s 1973 relocation to the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago.
The Homan Arthington Foundation spearheaded the creative adaptation of the Power House to classroom and learning facilities for students drawn from the surrounding neighborhoods. The building now enjoys life as the Charles H. Shaw Technology and Learning Center.
Features & Details
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Project Option: Small Square, 7×7 in, 18×18 cm
# of Pages: 80 - Publish Date: Mar 14, 2012
About the Creator
Someone once made an observation that all I seemed to photograph were trees and buildings. The two subjects would eventually come to represent different ways of looking and interpreting. For buildings, intricate composition and a rich black and white tonal range combine to impart a timeless quality. But in my trees, look for fewer details, more natural lines, and less obligation to the subject. In a more literal sense, no description of me is complete without a mention of home in Wichita, Kansas. It's there at Wichita State University that I discovered the allure of photography. Eventually, I found my way to Chicago's Columbia College. Then it was only a matter of time before Chicago's landscape cast it's spell over me. Now, with the city's forms and lines firmly in my vocabulary, I help architects and designers dramatically communicate their projects as well as provide art patrons with inspiring imagery.