INTERVIEW: A Belgian... with a camera... in the D - by LAWRENCEcreative

This urbexing event took its roots in an email exchange between myself and a photographer from Belgium with whom I had never met, but whos website I had just seen for the first time. (approx. 4-5 years ago.)  Completely blown away with the quality of his work, seen here at www.abandoned-places.com, I sent an email letting him know my thoughts.

A few years and numerous emails later, we were finally able to coordinate his visit to Detroit.

What occurred was five days of urbexing in my gotham city of Detroit, accompanied by one of the best urbex photographers I know. This was, by far, one of the best experiences I have had with my camera...minus the asbestos, and a great opportunity to make a new friend for life.

Here are but a few questions, and images, I asked Henk during his visit:

"What were your preconceptions of Detroit, if any?"

A: I was expecting a typical North-East American city, such as Chicago, Philadelphia or Newark, cities I have visited in the last couple of years. I knew there would be a large collection of interesting abandoned buildings. People had warned me about Detroit being dangerous, we have all seen the newspapers about these guys playing ice hockey in an abandoned building with the legs of some poor homeless guy sticking out of the ice. So I was expecting possible threat of homeless people or vagabonds.

"Were your preconceptions proven, or changed?"

A: Things turn out to be different than expected : I wasn’t expecting to see so many buildings simply abandoned. In some neighborhoods more than half the houses were simply impossible to live in. I had never seen/expected anything like that. The fact that the city center was empty shocked me. Almost all the high rise buildings were disused from the second floor up. Driving around the city center at 8am, and being car number 4 on a huge parking lot … On the other hand I haven’t felt insecure at all. This can be luck (you need luck on your side), but also we were careful.

"Having photographed an extensive selection of European abandoned locations, was there anyone that didn't understand your desire to come photograph the one-time 'Paris of the West' and Motor City? What were their thoughts or perceptions?"

A: Some people understand and share my passion for abandoned places, others need (a lot of) explaining. Most do end up understanding that it is the mystery, the history and the feeling of discovery that drives me to urban exploring. Detroit was a logical choice after having visited New Jersey last year. I feel very privileged to have been invited by Brett, a local photographer and urban explorer to team up with. I would not have been able to do this on my own (as I would in Belgium). The only persons who were really worried were some American friends who follow my adventures. One of them lives in my town and grew up in Detroit. She gave me her relatives’ phone numbers just in case …

"Of the locations we shot at, are there any that still stick in your head, for any reason, whether positive or negative? And why?"

A: The Broderick tower made a big impression. This high tower has a relatively small footprint, making it very claustrophobic to visit. Stairs after stairs, floor after floor are similar yet different. The lower floors are very dark, and chances of running into someone exist. The view from the top level is breathtaking. On the way down we discovered some most exquisite dentist-chairs. Obviously the Packard plant impresses by its sheer size, but the building has lost its soul after all these years of erosion and destruction. Also the Cass Tech school made a huge impression, hard to describe with words : that place is so big, and so full of surprises. It’s dark and claustrophobic and grandiose at the same time.

"What was the most rewarding aspect of your trip, in terms of photography? What are you happiest about going home having encountered?"

A: From a photographic point of view the photo I’m happiest with is dentist chair number 7. But that may change as appreciation for photos change over time.  One of the most rewarding aspects was the way Brett welcomed me to his city. It was an extremely relaxed stay, yet we were “working” from early morning till late afternoon, 5 days in a row, both discovering these places and sharing experiences.

"What was the most frustrating aspect of your trip, in terms of photography? What do you wish you could have seen, done, captured, etc.?"

A: Frustrating was not having been able to enter some buildings I wanted to do. But that is part of game. It gives me a reason to go back one day, who knows !

"Is there anyplace that you've photographed that is similar to Detroit in terms of urban decay, architecture, etc.?"

A: Buildings are like humans : they are similar at first sight, but when you examine closer, they all have a unique character. Some places are more interesting than others(just like humans), but they are all different. So it is hard to find an example of one building being similar to the ones I’ve seen in Detroit.

"Is there anything you want to say about Detroit?"

A: I’m not sure if my photos do justice to Detroit. They only show a really small aspect of this problematic city. I wish to see it again in wintertime, maybe in late summer. I’m not sure if I should say anything after having been there only 5 days, poking around empty buildings. There is one image that keeps coming back when I think of Detroit : it is the image of an exploded star : once bright and hot, now dim with an empty center. This may sound a bit depressing, but it may somehow be the incentive to a new start...

For more samples of Henk's phenominal work, please visit his website at abandoned-places.

To see my collection of images, entitled Abandoned Detroit Series 2010, visit HERE.