Damon Landry is a photographer living and working in the city of Philadelphia since 2004…
These are a series of photos of municipal industrial and utility items we all pass every day on our way to and from work, the cafe for a cup of coffee, the post office and anywhere we walk in the urban environment on a daily basis. There is hidden beauty in these everyday items. Though I do not always know their purpose or age, I find something beguiling about them and their silence. 99% of people will never really notice these things in their everyday lives, so that is part of the reason for this project … to expose and explore these items. All photos are taken with a Nikon D7000 using a variety of Nikkor lenses and edited using Photoshop.
PWD
I see these all over the city buried in sidewalks usually out by the streets edge but nonetheless I enjoy the layout of the design and pattern. The 3 stripes between the PWD and WATER as well as the partial circle underneath. Good industrial design and cast work from some long gone craftsman.
UL
This is a fire hose triple outlet cover cast in what looks to be brass, shot using shallow DOF to get bokeh and blur out the obvious! I see these all over the city, usually up against the main wall of larger center city buildings. They stand silent sentry.
GRID
One of the things that fascinate me are manhole covers, there are so many shapes and sizes all over the city. Someone had to take the time to design this, create a mold and all the work that goes along with that aspect of sculptural work. And all this just for a manhole cover. Just goes to show you how much we have lost as a society… I mean we used to DESIGN everything and everything was made by people and time and care went into it all. Sad, but these are reminders of that past hidden in plain sight.
PECo
Just a simple design from times long since past … I really enjoy how the “o” is laid out in the overall design of the cover. This is the center of a large manhole cover, one of several of this type I have seen around center city.
HOLDING TENSION
Something so simple, clean and empty. Love the play of light and shadow on the ridges of the bolt and the overall shape of the shadow the bolt and nut throws out …
CORROSION
This is another wonderful patterned manhole cover and one that is very heavily corroded, with the facing of the patterns eaten off. This reminds me of some crystal seen through a microscope perhaps?
I have never thought that can be fascinated by photos of industrial/utility objects I pass by and… unconsciously ignore every day! “Grid” and “Corrosion” are my favorite. Bravo!
I have to say, though, the feeling of “certain wow” when you suddenly notice something, that you have been looking at almost every day and did not see, is quite familiar.