Three River series 2006-2007, 2017

Much closer to home, this series came about from many day trips, driving and by kayak, to the three major rivers in our area, the Hudson, the Deerfield and the Connecticut Rivers. The flood plains of these colonial causeways were the first settlements, the best farms, and the sites of a lot of abandoned industry. The commerce, from tire factories to paper mills, to mining has left a crumbling infrastructure that I am trying to document as it disappears. I have been taking pictures of the old, still working, hydro system along the upper Deerfield. Recently it was flooded when a storm surge topped most of the small dams along the river and ran right through the generator buildings, leaving the dawn of electricity generators buried in maybe three feet of mud. I haven't used these shots yet in collages for the series but I plan to.

CT River 1 | 2007 | 25 x50 | 1 of 20

Patterns of ice melting on my pond and a section of the Connecticut River that I often paddle on.
CT River 2 | 2007 | 25 x 50 | 2 of 20

Tobacco from the barns and the Hatfield bend again.
CT River 3 | 2007 | 25 x 50 | 3 of 20

The bend at Hatfield and a levy house being torn apart.
CT River 4 | 2007 | 25 x 50 | 4 of 20

The prettiest part of the Connecticut River running undisturbed down the top of the valley
Holyoke 1 | 2007 | 18 x 36 | 5 of 20

Between the lowest canal and the river are newer flood dikes while right beside them the oldest brick factory buildings are being torn down.
Holyoke 3 | 2007 | 18 x 36 | 6 of 20

some of these victorian factory buildings are still standing.
Holyoke 4 | 2007 | 18 x 36 | 7 of 20

Random textural details from the same area are combined with my painted surfaces.
Holyoke 5 | 2007 | 18 x 36 | 8 of 20

Sumac is bursting through the pavement everywhere.
Deerfield 1 | 2007 | 20 x 40 | 9 of 20

Corn and hay are the main crops around here. Still some dairy but it is disappearing.
Deerfield 3 | 2007 | 20 x 40 | 10 of 20

Holyoke upper canal system, Greenfield grain storage and still working tractor from down in the valley.
Deerfield 4 | 2007 | 20 x 40 | 11 of 20

Walking along the tracks by the upper Deerfield around Zoar, railroad bridge detail and rusted debris from the tracks.
Hudson 1 | 2006 | 20 x 40 | 12 of 20

A Catskill factory front and details from Olana across the Hudson River
Hudson 2 | 2006 | 20 x 40 | 13 of 20

A frieght loading crane near the river and tracks and farm above the town of Hudson.
Hudson 3 | 2006 | 20 x 40 | 14 of 20

abandoned warehouse near Hudson
Hudson 4 | 2006 | 20 x 40 | 15 of 20

Olana outer buildings
Hudson 5 | 2006 | 20 x 40 | 16 of 20

A very large hay barn near Hudson
Hudson 6 | 2006 | 20 x 40 | 17 of 20

Detail from the hayloft of the round shaker barn near Pittsfield
Three River 1 | 2017 | 18 of 20
Three River 2 | 2017 | 19 of 20
Three River 3 | 2017 | 20 of 20