A Fragile Utopia

A story about 111 First Street is for me irresistible. It is an address that represents all addresses, a center point. And, like many mythical center points, it is a scene of conflict and drama, driven by primal and existential issues of territory. And I lived there.... This work of photographing around studios and other parts of the 111 building was a way for me to contemplate a unique lifestyle; how artists make their homes/studios from scratch in an industrial environment; how their work evolves behind the scenes; how the old industrial world looks next to the brave new world of pre-fabricated modular construction. There are almost no people in my pictures of 111, no contentious meetings, no courtroom scenes. The atmosphere is quiet and uneventful in most instances, even as reporters and tv crews wait outside to cover the latest arson or demolition. I prefer to observe and record small things, probably unnoticed by most observers. This is how I pay tribute to my friends and colleagues and the little civilization that flourished for a time and faded away. - Edward Fausty