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July 21, 2010
In "Down These Mean Streets" Will Steacy wanders through battered urban areas with a big camera (Canham 5x7 field camera with a 4x5 back on the camera) taking these images of abandoned buildings, burned-out cars, neon signs and local residents. An interview.
Will Steacy, Detroit 2009, from Down These Mean Streets
In this article at Conscientious Extended he says:
The camera is a beautiful gift from the gods that allows me to ask questions, open doors to places I would never explore otherwise and to see the world with brave curiosity. Memories of my childhood and questions about why America has allowed its inner cities to crumble without any means to repair themselves are the roots of the bud that was nurtured by the 2008 presidential campaign, economic and housing crisis and a trip to Baltimore that became the tree I call Down These Mean Streets.
Steacy routinely walks between the airport and central business districts of each photographed city, focusing on the part of town one might drive through but not to.
The photos depict an America that has turned its back on cities, as years of neglect have left crumbling neighborhoods with no local economy, a public education system that barely meets requirements, a low income housing nightmare, and few options for proper nutrition and health care as violence and drugs reign making survival a number one priority.
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