By Megan Kuhn

Decline of Industry Photos

The pictures have a sad feeling to themSeems to be in a city or poor neighborhoodFeeling of being trapped (fences, barbed wire)ImprisonmentConcentration camp (barbed wire)HomelessPoverty Suffering

Noticings (General)

RedBlue doorGarbageAbandonmentDanger

Noticings (See)

CarsPeople yellingHorns honkingKids fighting, kicking cansLeaves rustlingTrainsBusesWind howlingLeaves rustling

Noticings (Hear)

SmokeGarbageDeath

Noticings (Smell)

Cold windRough groundStepping over and on garbage, leaves, old bricks

Noticings (Feel)

Where are these places?Is it all one place, or various ones?Are they completely shut down, or do people live or work there?Were the pictures taken to look sad?Does this place look as run down in real life as it does in the photos? Or did the artist use creativity to make them look that way?

Questions

When I first saw these photos, I thought “Wow, I am lucky to live where I do. I have a warm house, food to eat, electricity, running water, food, and security.” It seemed to me that regardless of where these photos were taken, they obviously captured some type of poverty. After interviewing, the artist, I found out that they were factories that were closed down due to the decline of industry in none other than my own city. When I was in high school, my dad’s shop closed down. He used to work for Van De Kamps. He was there for 20 years. I couldn’t help but remember the sadness and the pain that not only he, but my entire family felt when he broke the news to us that the company was relocating. I recalled the uncertainness that my family went through when deciding if I would continue at my high school, given the high tuition costs, and whether or not we would move out of state so that my dad could continue to work for Van De Kamps.

Personal Connection

Between 1980 and 2009, the United States lost 7.1 million manufacturing jobs.—Workers were displaced and jobs lostJobs have been shipped overseas from Pennsylvania and employment in Erie declined 1.1% as a result of 1,500 lost jobsErie manufacturing employment plummeted to a 23.6% decreasePA lost more than 207,000 manufacturing jobs since 2001Department of Labor and Industry show Erie County’s unemployment rate year a 25-year high at 10.3%

Social, Cultural, and Historical Context

After interviewing the artist, I found out that these pictures were of deserted and closed down factories and their surroundings in the city of Erie. The goal of the photographs was to present a social awareness of issues that are right here at home in the city of Erie. Abandoned Places VideoASPCAChristian Children's Fund

Social Context

In the readings, Booth discussed using art to tell a story. This collection of pictures tells the story of a social issue that affects millions of people throughout the United States. It made me realize that sometimes we don’t have to tell simply our own personal story, but that we can tell a story that we might connect to on a broader sense, or that we might not even have any intimate experience with, but we are interested in learning more about. Through interviewing the photographer, I realized that this topic was not one she was overly familiar with, until she expressed it in pictures, and researched some facts. This made me realize that seeing the artistic beauty in something may open up new possibilities for learning.

Curricular Connection

Aesthetic:How does the artist use angle, color, and shadow to portray emotion and capture the essence of her feelings about the subjects of the photos successfully?

Pedagogical:How do these photographs impact our awareness and understanding of the world around us and the effects that decisions of the past have on the present and the future?

Line of Inquiry

ColorAngle of shotShadow LightingTextureArt as a means to convey emotionArt as a means to draw attention to a social issue

Key Ideas

History—Research the Industrial Revolution and its impacts on production.Geography—Research the Industrial Revolution and the decline of industry in this area and its effects.Math—Use some of the researched figures to create word problems regarding the decline of industry.Psychology—Research the effects of job loss.Social Studies (Current Events)—Why are industry jobs disappearing? Research what is replacing them and therefore what has caused the decline of industry.

Activity Ideas

Create a work of art that speaks to a social issue that is of interest to you. Use the qualities of the art (lighting, shadow, texture, angle, color, etc.) to evoke the emotion and meaning that you want to convey.

Aesthetic Education

Mind Map

BubbleUS for mind mapInterview with photographer, Kari Amboyerhttp://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-156123378.htmhttp://www.brooklings.edu/~media/files/rc/reports/2010/1216_manufacturin g_wial_friedhoff/1216_manufacturing_wial_friedhoff.pdfhttp://www.reliableplant.com/read/11398/manufacturing-job-losses-cripple- growth-in-pennsylvaniaYoutube for video

Sources