Abandos

In the absence of the makers, the works of humans are as revealing as portraits .

We build with hope: little businesses, homes. Especially homes , both grand & humble.

So much need, so much hope. Then time passes , children grow & leave, jobs evaporate, mines & farms play out, factories close, communities wither, cultures collapse . . . .

My neighborhood is surrounded by the vast acreage of what was once Fort Ord.

In 1994 the U. S. Army moved out of the Fort where it had trained horse cavalry, mechanized artillery, & conducted basic training through all the wars & peacetimes of 90 years. All the barracks, motor pools, offices, churches, movie theaters, a prison, and training structures were left neglected & decaying.

All this infrastructure became a canvas, movie set & playground for many, including me.

Among them were the students from the high school where I taught photography & video, which is adjacent to the old fort. I have adopted their name for it: "The Abandos".

Fort Ord barracks