Sunday, August 11, 2013

Prairie Street, Detroit


8x10 acrylic on canvas panel
Available through DPW auction/gallery

This months Virtual Paintout is visiting the city of Detroit Michigan. This abandoned little house is on Prairie Street - a pretty little name for a street that is just littered with boarded up homes. The original link in Google can be seen by clicking here.

Detroit has been in the news lately, due to it's bankruptcy filing. It is also often in the news as the media reports how "bad" the city is. Looking around in google, I can see what the reports talk about. The homes & buildings, fallen into total disrepair. Abandoned buildings, cars, lives -- it's sad. 

But.......

The city isn't entirely gone, there is still good buildings, good cars & good lives - all still living in this city. And I am determined to paint a 2nd (& possibly a 3rd) of this city and show the good side, the better side, the side still surviving. The city has beauty still, although it is rough around the edges. I remember when NYC was dangerous, back in the 1970s & 1980s - when crime was commonplace and street life was rampant. It took NY quite some time to turn itself around (although there are some who think the edgier NYC of those decades was better), and I would imagine Detroit will change and find it's own path for survival as well. 

In it's heyday Detroit was quite the place. Here's some data on it's rich history. It's a shame this once great city has been reduced to such a state - I do hope it can turn itself around. 

2 comments:

Autumn Leaves said...

I share similar thoughts on Detroit and too am painting a piece for this challenge. Whether it makes it to the VPO is another story, but I've started one. Love the colors in this little house and wonder how it looked in its heyday.

Anonymous said...

I feel it. Good job.

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