Rick Edwards "Urban Decay"

September 16th- September 21st

Rick Edwards seeks out images found in neighborhoods that strongly depict society’s general lack of empathy, which has resulted in an overwhelming representation of urban decay. The distressing yet rich depictions found in the work go beyond a superficial representation; they connect on a political, economic and societal self-loathing prospective of reality. Each shot seeks
to connect on an emotional level through choice of landscape, composition
and lighting.
Edwards subject as a photographer is primarily processed in black and white. He ask viewers to consider taking responsibility for their own actions and the effect it has on humanity. With change comes progress and new opportunities but that realization in some of these forgotten communities has not become
a reality. He select imagery of what was once beautiful and full of life and
although life still remains on some level, it is now hard to appreciate its beauty.
Edwards typically show prints in medium to large formats sizes, (8” x10” to
|16” x 24”) to invite viewers to interact and come out of their comfort zones
to see the potential and lost beauty in these neighborhoods.
Edwards uses a digital VR Nikon SRL camera to capture the rich texture of black and white imagery. Edwards preferred media for printing is Epson
Premium Photo Paper Glossy or a variety of matt finishes. Although completing the majority of his education away from Chicago’s South Side neighborhood, he currently resides in a quite middle class community in the suburbs.
His parents still lives in the continuously changing community where he grow up, he prefers to come back to shoot its lost beauty.