Twin Cities Ford Assembly Plant
Twin Cities Ford Assembly Plant, 2011-12, Encaustic, paint, wood, cement, on sheet metal, 48.5” x 12.5”
The Twin Cities Ford Assembly Plant opened in 1925 and closed on December 19, 2011. The day it closed, I went there and stood on the back of my truck to photograph the site. Security guards came running towards me. I jumped in my truck and went to the next gated entrance and started to photograph again. The guards came running. I went to 2 more gates with the same result. I went back to my studio with enough photos to piece together a "panoramic" view of the plant, which became this painting and now a memory.
On Dec. 19, 2011, the day TCFAP was shut down, I went there to take photos. I stood on the back of my truck with camera in hand. Security came running out, so I jumped in my truck and drove to Gate 2. Again, same thing, with security coming after me. Gates 3 and 4 were no different, BUT I had the photos I needed to make this painting (!) The person who purchased the painting, said he was taking it to show his grandfather who had worked at the plant most of his adult life. For an artist, it doesn't get better that that!
