JPG Magazine: Stories: Photo Essay: Pieces of Louisville

Pieces of Louisville

By Eric Hart

8 February 2007

When I first moved to Louisville, I was surprised at the visual complexity of the city; the overwhelming contrast between the historic, the modern, and the decayed. Every block, it seems, contains some reminder of its unique character. A vintage painted advertisement might sit next to a new restaurant, all in front of an abandoned lot.

This contradiction is what shapes Louisville; this battle between crass gentrification and the "Keep Louisville Weird" campaign to support all the unique businesses in the area. In some places, you feel as if you're completely cut off from the real world in suburban Anytown, USA. Some buildings are caught in the transition from abandoned relic to historic monument. Other places, sadly, are literally falling apart.

I began capturing the facades of many of these buildings during my brief period spent here. I've yet to visit a city that holds such extremes of growth and decay as Louisville; like a forest floor, this town springs new life as it rots away.

It's an exciting time.