The Pittsburgh Project

I saw Dylan Vitone last night. He came and spoke at Metro and showed us his work. He's a really cool guy. He's working on a project called "The Pittsburgh Project."

"For the past year I have been documenting Pittsburgh, a rustbelt town seated at the confluence of the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Western Pennsylvania. In its heyday, Pittsburgh was an economic hub that served as one of the nation’s largest producers of steel, coal, glass and aluminum, attracting scores of immigrant workers for the promise of work in the mills. As Pittsburgh’s economy boomed, its culture flourished, and the city became home to some of the most influential families in the country: the Carnegies, Rockerfellers, Fricks, Heinzes, Hillmans and Mellons.

With the deindustrialization of the latter 20th century, Pittsburgh suffered a massive economic decline, losing half its population over the last 50 years alone. The city currently has trouble affording some of the most basic of municipal services. It can not keep public pools open in the summer or plow the streets in the winter. Last year the City of Pittsburgh was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy.

Today, Pittsburgh strives to diversify its industry. As area real estate is relatively inexpensive, companies are finding incentives for moving into the city. The sites of what once were the largest steel mills in the country have been cleared in favor luxury condos and shopping plazas. There is hope that things are changing, but only time will tell.

This project documents Pittsburgh’s struggle to reconcile its history with the uncertainty of its future. Like other cities across the nation’s rustbelt, Pittsburgh has been forced to reinvent itself."

His photographs are 12 x 80 inch ultrachrome inkjet prints. He said he sometimes takes over 5 rolls of film in one area, and pastes photographs together (using photoshop) to create the image he wants. The things that he captures are truely amazing.

Check him out at http://www.dylanvitone.com/