Markham metamorphosis
When the 100 acre area in Markham, Illinois was suddenly and completely denuded of all vegetation and the trees started disappearing, I started paying attention. Change doesn't happen that fast in low income areas, I thought. But soon after I began photographing the area, all the houses were rapidly removed and all that was left was an empty field. A year later, the area became the new home of Amazon IGQ1, an 855,000 square foot warehouse that employs 3000 workers.
Soon after I began photographing the area, all the low income homes were quickly razed and removed. I asked government officials what was happening but received mostly vague answers.
It was astonishing to see an area I passed so frequently go from dense woods with 40-50 houses to a bare field so quickly. Almost unconsciously, I grabbed a camera and started to photograph the forlorn homes that were slated for demolition - each marked with a red X. I wondered what could affect so much change so quickly. It must be something nefarious, I thought. And no one seemed to have much information, which made me even more suspicious. It was sad to see an entire community erased in a few weeks time, so I kept photographing even beyond the point when it turned into a completely bare field.
It wasn't until the huge foundation was poured and the signs went up that I finally learned that Amazon was building an 855,000 square foot distribution center. The warehouse was completed in late October 2021 and employs 3,000 people working alongside robots to distribute up to 50 million products.
The 27 photographs in this series were made in 2017 and are printed on Hahnemuhle paper with archival ink in one size. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof.
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