Under I-90 - Concrete, Steel and Slivers of Sunlight
The longer that I live in Spokane, the more my feelings and thoughts on the town change. The city has a well-earned reputation for its grittiness and social ills. No doubt about it. We're currently in the midst of another police scandal and it seems that our homeless or indigent population is growing. As these issues (and more) ebb and flow, it affects how I view my short term quality of life as well as the long-term chances that I stay here.
What is undeniable, to me at least, is that I can still so easily find beauty in its less seen areas!
Everyone that has passed through Spokane of I-90 or conducted any business downtown has seen this monolith ... but have they really SEEN it? It's hard to miss but easy to ignore at the same time. It's loud and crowded with cars at most times in the day. It's messy and there always seems to be construction going on somewhere along its length. It's often populated with folks that are looked down upon in our society and there's no shortage of graffiti or vandalism.
Despite that, the unique collection of angles, shadows, colors, textures and sounds add up to an extraordinarily unique and beautiful part of town. I've lived in other cities and we all know that despite any urban similarities, each town has its own rhythm and heartbeat, distinct sounds and moods that make them each different. Portland and Orlando certainly have their own vibe. I don't invest energy in trying to find the words to describe the difference or to capture a proper description.
I just take pictures.
Despite this obvious (to me) beauty, I long to visit other cities and capture ... and not just their lovely monuments and attractions, but their underbellies, too. Every beautiful city in the world has parts of it that folks try to ignore. I would LOVE to visit those areas, too. I'd love to see how similar or different they are from the "rustic" parts of Spokane or the other towns I've visited.
Until this becomes a reality, you're stuck having me swim through this town and capture its charms!