NOTES
An Old Church Along Plantation Alley
Why I had to make art from this old church on Plantation Alley.
Not far outside of New Orleans is a meandering road that follows alongside the levee dividing the Mississippi River and the vulnerable land often referred as Plantation Alley. This place feels eerie to me. Is it the cypress trees? Is it the air that doesn’t seem to move with a breeze? Or is it the ghostly relics of the past? These plantations, these places of opulence and tragedy, murder and hosts for agonizing souls sent down the river as chattel, raped and made beasts of burden from black human bodies bewitch me. And it’s quiet here and there is a lot of time; nothing but time to reflect the haunting of a suffering past from which the belly of American cruelty continues to reverberate between the ancient trees of oak and cypress.
It is along this road where I drove past an old church. This place of worship has hosted its sinners, the descendants of an antebellum billion dollar industry that relied on the whipped backs of black people. The suffering is all I could think and I wanted to leave yet compulsion ruled me. A man watched from his tractor lawn mower as I parked my car along the road to photograph what drew me to this small white church enclosed by tiny white flowers.
The resulting image took less time than most of my work. I had felt something here that I didn’t like, which quickly guided me through the process of expressing emotions that escape words. I know nothing else of this church but the context of its location provided me the way through.
I have yet so many projects to pursue but I’m held fast to my temptations to return to this unscheduled series to see what more stories emerge. It’s a witchy 100+ miles of land of ruin, poverty and history that festers like a boil but is pretty too with its trees, and old structures and ruins. I used to enjoy staying and visiting these plantations but a lot that was unknown to me just a few years ago has stained my memories. I’ll eventually return to finish what I’ve begun.
It is my hope that you enjoy this finished piece and have a feeling akin to the one I had. It is printed on metallic paper and is available at 20% off if you sign up for my mailing list.
The Old Church Along Plantation Alley
2022
The most preserved plantations in the U.S. is just outside of New Orleans. A drive heading west, upriver on River Road are examples of antebellum mansions where slave masters resided, hosted guests and made their fortunes from the forced labor of imprisoned human beings. There are legends associated with these properties that also beg inevitable question: “Is this place haunted?”. In a way, yes. I’m unsure of the age of this chapel but it lies between a pair of plantations. I’m not a fan of this area yet I’m still drawn to it. It could be a desire to explore the roots of evil in America or more simply the eeriness of this region. Despite the dark history of the South, I can’t imagine working anywhere else (the exception being the arid regions of the western United States). In the South, you can find the ugliest and most beautiful aspects of humanity, which represent to me a nation in constant struggle and flux. This old chapel is a place for people to worship God and to make peace with their sins.
This unframed print is signed and reproduced on a heavy weighted 300GSM glossy luster photography paper.
Welcome to 2018
A new photography book, The Saffron Scourge and a film are part of this list of updates for 2018 that include you.
From "The Ghost Who Loved Mardi Gras"
I have to first thank all of you for reading these posts, getting some books or prints and engaging in interesting conversations with me. It was a year that proved that one might actually be able eke out a living making art and finding the homes for these pieces that I often spend hours on.
So what’s next?
There are a few ideas of how to create an online presence that will make YOU feel a part of these photo shoots and the creative process. The final photographs, after all, are going into your collections or at the very least, populating your newsfeed.
A photo from the Vagabond Collection, which will soon be featured in the shop.
Here’s what’s coming in 2018:
+ A PHOTOGRAPHY SHOP will be available on my site and will include links to galleries featuring “The Vagabond Collection” as well as limited reproductions from The Saffron Scourge project, which is a ghostly body of work that tells the story of yellow fever victims from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. I've gotten a lot of requests for this. I thank you for your patience. This should be completed within the next few weeks.
+ A NEW BOOK is in the works, which will be released in 2018. I’m doing everything in my power to keep the costs low but the quality high. If you purchased a copy of Ghosts of New Amsterdam then you’ll be treated to some benefits as a result of your early support.
+ I and a production crew are on track to finish my FILM DIRECTORIAL DEBUT of a short film called The Red Canvas, which is based on a story of the same title by xxx ZombieBoy xxx (a constant collaborator and a dear, dear friend).
+ There will be more opportunities for you to directly affect the collections of photographs that I, and a production staff of talented people, will be releasing in the next twelve months.
Without you or your support, there would be nothing to share so THANK YOU a million times over for helping a boy and a dream get by in this crazy world of art. I’m very excited and I hope that you are too.
I wish you all a fruitful year and I send you a sincere wish that you achieve your dreams and goals in 2018.
From "The Ghost Who Loved Mardi Gras"
She Dances without Clothes
Photos of burlesque dancers throughout New York City and New Orleans.
I don't know how far back the art of burlesque goes but I know that it's entertained generations of men and women. The first time I saw a show was probably in the mid 2000s at some late night party, in the bowels of Brooklyn. It was probably dimly lit in close quarters. I was probably drunk too. The scenario may not have been so different than what perhaps my grandparents experienced so many years ago.
These photos were made throughout New York City and New Orleans.
Email: info@carlosdetres.com
