Dave Jordano | Detroit — Unbroken Down

This past Friday, Pictura was pleased to host the opening reception and artist talk with Dave Jordano on his series ​‘Detroit — Unbroken Down’. The Detroit shown in this project is one of a resilient people who take pride in their city. As a native son and a patient observer, he’s able to avoid the pull of the more common narratives about the place. The series combines images of groups within the community and sensitive individual portraits. Jordano’s pictures make you want to get to know the people in them. He creates a sense of intimacy and engagement with his subjects, as in the image ​‘Michael In His Room’ (shown above). Michael is seated in the middle of a bare room. His eyes pull you in first; the gaze is so direct, it feels like he is watching you. Jordano creates a subtle line from the top to the bottom of the frame. As your eyes wander down the image, they follow the lines of legs that should end in feet, but instead come to unexpectedly graceful points into the floor. It’s hard to tell at first if this is an illusion made by the green jacket worn on his legs. In reality, Michael lost his feet after jumping out of the second floor of a burning building.

-Mia + Lisa



Photos from the opening and artist talk: