Shannon Benine

Temporal Drift, 2003

My artistic exploration into the complexities of the human condition, examining the intersections of identity, memory, and social justice, began with my undergraduate thesis, “Temporal Drift, 2003,” at the University of Washington. This body of work documented the nocturnal transformation of a working cement plant along Seattle's Duwamish River into an evocative, almost alien environment. This is a deeply contested site, the traditional territory of the Duwamish Tribe. The Duwamish people, for whom the city of Seattle is named, have a long and complex history with this area, marked by ongoing struggles for federal recognition. In the waning days of the Clinton administration, the Duwamish Tribe briefly gained federal recognition, which was subsequently revoked shortly after the Bush administration took office. This history underscores the layered significance of the landscape, where industrial activity exists alongside a powerful history of indigenous presence and ongoing environmental impact.

To create this work, I secured special access to the plant, spending five hours every Friday night, hard hat on, navigating the grounds with a 4x5 camera. The resulting images, often yielding only five exposures per session, were captured through long exposure night photography, revealing the paradox of beauty and unease within this industrial landscape. With the exception of a single bird's-eye view, these photographs are captured from ground-level perspectives, documenting the silent marks of human activity and juxtaposing the scale of industry against the natural environment, notably a bird sanctuary across the river. Saturated and vivid colors, combined with dramatic lighting, create a sense of unease and wonder, revealing details often overlooked by day. Peeling paint, rusted metal, and decaying concrete capture the passage of time and the complex relationship between human industry and the environment. This project marked my initial exploration of photography as a tool to document contested landscapes and examine themes of history, change, and the often-overlooked complexities of industrial spaces.