New Thomas Edison: RESURRECTOR Cover

I’ve refreshed the cover for Thomas Edison: RESURRECTOR since I felt it needed a change. Here it is:

I took the photograph inside Edison’s Menlo Park lab at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.

Also just got word that The System- A Detroit Story and The Day Detroit Went Dark are ‘headed for retail’ on Audible.com. They should appear on Audible any time now. The covers had to change, since Audible requires square covers (just like CDs) instead of rectangles.

Diego Rivera Mural Studies at the DIA

One of the gems at the Detroit Institute of Arts is the Diego Rivera mural. The main panels depict workers at the Ford Motor Company River Rouge Complex. The murals, painted in 1932 and 1933, were considered controversial at the time, partial due to Rivera’s Marxist views. Also, some clergy members were offended by what they perceived to be blasphemy, and petitioned to have it destroyed.

It stands today as one of the DIA’s most significant works and represents Rivera at his best.

The controversy was so great, during the Joe McCarthy years the DIA posted this disclaimer:

“Rivera’s politics and his publicity seeking are detestable. But let’s get the record straight on what he did here. He came from Mexico to Detroit, thought our mass production industries and our technology wonderful and very exciting, painted them as one of the great achievements of the twentieth century. This came after the debunking twenties when our artists and writers found nothing worthwhile in America and worst of all in America was the middle west.”

“Rivera saw and painted the significance of Detroit as a world city. If we are proud of this city’s achievements, we should be proud of these paintings and not lose our heads over what Rivera is doing in Mexico City today.”

I’m wondering where the Rivera mural will wind up if the DIA eventually closes…

To see the rest of the photos go here: http://stefanstudios84.wordpress.com/dia-rivera-mural-studies/

To learn more about the mural go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Industry_Murals

and here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103337403

DIA Photographs

We visited the DIA (Detroit Institute of Arts) this morning and got some shots. What a cultural gem this is. We plan on visiting and photographing what we can while there’s still time.

Check the photographs out here: http://stefanstudios84.wordpress.com/the-detroit-institute-of-arts/

 

DIA Deathwatch

The next step in liquidating the Detroit Institute of Arts collection was taken last week when a group of Detroit banks, bond holders and the AFSCME union filed a motion to allow independent evaluation of the collection. They stated that Kevin Orr is not acting “aggressively enough to monetize the art”. The collection is supposedly worth billions of dollars.

Back in August I posted the following on this blog.

Recently a tri-county (Oakland, Macomb and Wayne) millage was passed to keep the DIA open. That will be invalidated if the artwork is sold, wiping out $23 million in operating funds which would probably force an immediate closure. Here are a couple of quotes. The first is from L. Brooks Patterson, the Oakland County Executive:
“If Kevin Orr (Emergency Financial Manager) moves in any way to reduce the quality of the DIA’s collection, I can absolutely guarantee we will go to court to seek suspension of that tax, which was imposed to support the museum as presently constituted. We are not going to pay once some of the finest works are sold.”

The second quote is from Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel:
“Why would we continue a millage for something that no longer exists?”

We’re witnessing cultural bankruptcy and sadly, the DIA is under a real deathwatch. Get to the DIA soon, before it inevitably closes and the art is auctioned off.  

Check out the DIA here: http://www.dia.org

The Day Detroit Went Dark Audiobook

The audiobook production for The Day Detroit Went Dark is complete and approved. We’re very happy the way The Day Detroit Went Dark turned out and it should be available on Audible.com soon.

The System – A Detroit Story – starts production tomorrow.

Winter is Coming to Detroit

Winter is coming to Detroit. I plan on producing another photo essay book entitled Broken City, Big Hearts. It will be about organizations in Detroit that help people survive, especially during the winter.
The entire essay will be shot in grainy black and white. I took these test location shots today.

 

I’ve begun shooting this month during late fall…

 

…and plan on shooting and developing the narrative throughout the winter.

Heavy shooting will take place during December, January and February where the chances for surviving in the city hits bottom.

 

 

 

Campus Martius Images

I was shooting in downtown Detroit on Friday afternoon in infrared and took this shot of Campus Martius. If you look closely it looks like there are two ghostly figures hovering in the shot. Infrared photography records light that is not visible to the human eye…

Transformers 4 Update

Thought I’d take a look at what was left of the Transformers 4 set in Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit today. Not much! I shot these with my iPhone from the People Mover.

 

It looks like a construction company was wrapping up a demolition project.

Here’s more debris:

Even though a lot has been removed, there’s a long way to go until the area is clear.

I know I said it before, but when you total the cost of multiple sets/locations like this throughout the country (and world) it’s easy to see how this film will easily burn through its $170 million budget.

Man of Steel Shot in Detroit?

Big time rumors are flying around regarding Detroit being used as the location for the Man of Steel sequel. The other buzz is that Ben Affleck is playing Batman in the movie. The announcement should come out next week. If the movie is indeed shot here, I’ll get as many set photos as I can and post them on this blog.
Here are a couple of links for more info:
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/detroit/index.ssf/2013/08/detroit_to_get_man_of_steel_se.html

http://www.freep.com/article/20130823/COL36/308230117/superman-batman-detroit-man-steel

 

Elevate the Arts Festival

I’ll be at the Elevate the Arts festival at Clawson Park in Clawson, Michigan on September 8th from 10:00am to 2:00pm. I hope to see you there!
Heres the link: http://elevatethearts.vpweb.com/Arts—Authors-List-2013.html