Midwest Moments

“Growing up in mid-century St. Louis, I remember an abundance of great architecture in
every part of the city I visited. From the magnificent high-rise office buildings Downtown,
to the beautiful theaters that once lined Grand Avenue, to my native University City and
our incredible City Hall, I felt the energy of a city steeped in appreciation of education, art and culture, and I believe that is what led me to a career as an architect.

I began to self-educate myself, with a combination of work experience and evening college classes, to establish my architectural career, and found Modern Architecture to be extremely interesting, especially in the tradition of Le Corbusier. The idea of using drawing, sculpture
and photography seemed an ideal means to simultaneously express and capture the
beauty of the built environment. In my photography I constantly search for places of
inspiration, places of highlights, colors, patterns, light and history. Places of art, sculpture
and architecture for sure, but also places of industry, transportation and engineering are
just as inspiring.

Valley Park is a small town located along the banks of the Meramec River in St. Louis
County, and is the subject of my recent work. The fabric of the community is a collection
of industrial structures, businesses and residential neighborhoods. There is a blend of
many different materials, shapes and sizes, all with different characteristic and
compositions. I have found it to be a fascinating place that never fails to reveal a new
layer of complexity with every visit. These images are some of my attempts to convey and
preserve what I see.”