In 2008 Chrysler’s Newark, DE assembly plant closed. After a short time, that is in relation to the history of the plant, the industrial landscape shifted into a vast remnant, a time-keeper, sealed shut, with tall weeds growing in the lot disrupting the concrete. In 2010 demolition began. In fall of that year I began monthly visits to the site documenting the labor-void with video and stills. I was interested in the space as a transitional location. A site where over 8,000 workers invested their time, sweat, and heart for 57 years. From US Army tanks to Durangos, from bustling loud constant motion to quiet acceptance, 3.4 million square feet sits in a liminal zone, betwixt and between, an historical site where something was and is now in the process of becoming something else. Evolution and liminality.
In these first two shorts I was interested in trying to remove myself as much as possible from the documentation. How could I use the camera to survey the site as if from a mechanical device—not a human intervention? I hooked up cameras to a golf cart, turned them on and drove through the site. Repeatedly. These two short videos are just the beginning. There are more to come.