NON-FICTION
DETROIT
ARTIST’ S STATEMENT
I’ m Kestrel. I have always had an interest in different forms of visual communication. Photography was something that gave me the ability to capture the hidden stories that I noticed, and convey them to others. We are continually part of a larger story, and taking a photo gives me an opportunity to show a small piece of that story, whether it’ s a joyful moment in someone’ s life, or an image that tells the truth of a broken situation. I think there is great art in being able to tell part of a story truthfully, in a way that connects the viewers to the subject. I also believe in photography as a means of healing and giving others worth and dignity. Photography is a skill which has helped me to develop confidence in myself and who God created me to be, when that is something I have greatly struggled with. It is a form of worship for me, and has been something that shapes how I look at the world, and how I view others around me. There is an incredible amount of beauty and truth that can be discovered where we least expect it, if we just shake our perspective a little bit. There is beauty in humanity, even those who do not believe it about themselves. I want to use photography to tell that truth. of a family who has disappeared because of the gang wars, or a child who was killed on Halloween night because their family took the risk to let him go trick-or-treating. The cathedral, once beautiful and funded by a large congregation, now stood empty. The original purpose of this church no longer applied. Instead, beer bottles, condoms, and cigarettes littered the floor and graffiti replaced the walls.
This cathedral no longer felt like a building; it felt like a victim crying out for redemption and respect.
I came to Detroit hoping to get great pictures of broken down buildings. I journeyed through building after building, excited to find more desolation. I wanted pictures of the abandonment to grace my portfolio and draw attention to my skill. In a way, I wanted to exploit these stories to create art that belonged to me. But to really be part of restorative art means that the weight of it is far more than my own gain. It’ s about telling the truth with respect to the subject. So how would I display these pictures and what stories would people read in them? I could display them in the tradition of glamorizing blight, or I could show them in a way that connects others to the pain that has taken place within these buildings. The latter is more difficult, but I can’ t settle for less. As an artist, I have a responsibility to respond truthfully. These weren’ t just ruins that I could disengage from because it happened in the past. The exploitation and abandonment is still taking place.
After leaving the church, we were approached by a man asking for money and food for his family. We talked with him, gave him what we could— food, blankets, and some money— then prayed with him. It’ s hard for me not to feel like such a small action will never be enough in the grand scheme of his life. But it was all we had to offer in that moment. We will never know what happened to him. He had three broken ribs at the time we talked to him; he had been the victim of many muggings and attacks all from the walks home after trying to find provisions for his family. The economic desperation of Detroit has left some its citizens fighting to survive by whatever means possible.
Walking through Detroit and seeing her bones laid bare beneath our feet felt surreal. It was like we had entered a war zone within the USA. The reason I love photography,
is the power to bring a person into the lives of the other. A photograph has the power to connect people emotionally with the lives of others. Americans are very good at compartmentalizing things and staying uninvolved when something doesn’ t directly relate to us. But when art is done well it confronts apathy. It has the ability to create response from one human to the struggles of another human.
These are the photographs I want to be taking. They beg to turn from creating art for personal gain to art that advocates for those who do not have the opportunity to make their own struggles known. Artists have a responsibility to preserve and reveal integrity of the subjects in their work, and prevent subjects from becoming objects. I do not want these pictures to be viewed as something to be complemented because of the composure or lighting. Each photo represents someone’ s struggles, pain, and joy. Detroit contains a multitude of abandoned buildings, but through the right lens it’ s also a mosaic of unknown and forgotten stories that need to be told.
We have a responsibility with our art. It is easy to get caught up in the strictly commercial aspect of art. It’ s simple to use art to bring attention to oneself. But if the creation of this art comes at the exploitation of another’ s pain, I do not want to be a part of that. Behind a camera, I have the ability to victimize and dehumanize, or to empower and restore dignity. With every photograph there is a choice in how the subject is portrayed. Are they given respect as a fellow human, or turned into an object for the gain of the artist? I’ ve begun to think that maybe photography is always a collaboration between the photographer and the subject. No photo ever belongs solely to me, but also to those whose lives are within the frame as well. ◆
EDITORS NOTE When talking( or writing) about Detroit it’ s difficult to do so with adequate nuance. Often, we focus only on the good or the bad, the poverty or the resurgence of commerce, and what gets lost is the reality that Detroit is a complicated city with a simultaneously tragic and beautiful history. We hope you hold that tension delicately as you read this article. Thank you.
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