Rooms Not Empty

The buildings in Rooms Not Empty are in transition. Some one has departed and another person has intentions to take over. During this moment, the story invites maximum possibilities. The former occupants have left behind an incomplete record of themselves and the character of the new occupants has not yet been established. The temporarily vacant space is quiet and beautiful.

I slip in to photograph, shut down my imagination and just react. Touch nothing but the camera. Record straightforward angles of view. The subject is emptiness punctuated with small artifacts. These found objects begin to unveil a story.

Three buildings are represented in this portfolio. The first is Artcraft Printers, a publishing house in
Missoula, Montana. The company went out of business and the building was bought by a hopeful developer. The goal was to bring in a high profile retailer. The building remains empty to this day.

The second building is the Wilma building in downtown Missoula. In 2007, developers bought the building to turn the rental apartments into condominiums. I photographed immediately after the apartments were vacated, but before improvements were made to the spaces. The bottom floor of the Wilma includes a theater. Prior to the sale, the basement has housed an eccentric bar, the Red Light Green Room, as well as the Chapel of the Dove movie theater. The main floor theater remains, but the basement space is occupied by an Internet company and storage facility.

The Royal Apartments are a former motel. Each room was stripped and then converted into a unique living space for renters.

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