Effigy of the Unmarked but Persistent Passing of Time, 2007

Photographing Keech Avenue, his Ann Arbor neighborhood, Colin Blakely explores the fading rituals of small-town Midwestern life. Bordered on one side by Michigan Stadium and by Almendinger Park on the other, the area plays an important role in the identity of the neighborhood, which receives thousands of visitors every year.

Effigy of the Unmarked but Persistent Passing of Time tells the story of a community that is holding on to a familiar yet vanishing way of life. It is about a group of people living in Middle America—geographically, economically, politically—at a time when our notions concerning what this means are quickly changing. Without inscribing nostalgia or fatalism into his tableaux, Blakely acts as a quiet observer. As he explains, “this work is a celebration of—and possibly a eulogy to—this way of life.”

This work is part of the 2008 Aperture Portfolio Prize Limited-Edition Print Series.

Pigment Print
Image Size: 10 x 12 1/2 inches
Paper Size: 11 x 14 inches
Edition of 25 + 5 AP
Signed and numbered by the artist

Colin Blakely (b. 1973) received a BA from Williams College with a double major in Math and Studio Art in 1995 and an MFA in Photography from the University of New Mexico in 2001. His work has appeared in solo and group exhibitions across the U.S. Colin was a runner-up for the 2009 Aperture Portfolio Prize and a Winter 2007 Hot Shot. Colin Blakely was Department Head and Full Professor of Photography at Eastern Michigan University for 14 years and is currently the Director of the School of Art at the University of Arizona.