Detroit Portfolio

‘Detroit’s

beautiful, horrible decline’ (Marchand, Y, Meffre, R)

By Heather Coleman 1

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Detroit is the most populated, economic, political and cultural city centre in the state of Michigan. However, although Detroit is the most popular city in the state, what was once one of America’s most thriving cities is now one of the world’s fastest shrinking cities. This portfolio will analyse the historical context of how the booming city of Detroit became a shrinking city. It will discuss how the decline of Detroit has led to the city becoming an exhibition for some of the most spectacular ruins in the world and how these ruins and abandoned place have become modernised and commercialised, in relation to space and place theorists.

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A Ferris wheel of History

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A World City Detroit was founded in 1701 by Antoine la Mothe Cadillac and by the end of the war in 1812 with ‘the development of the speedboat and the opening of the eerie canal’, Detroit began to see a steep growth and ‘was incorporated into a city in 1815’ (2008, City-Data). World cities are usually associated with ‘the (See fig 4) first hubs and crossroads of civilisation’ and are recognised as exercising ‘inter-regional trade and oversees colonial civilization’ (Chen, Orum, Paulsen, 2013, p.286). Detroit was an example of a world city as, although it is not a coastline city, the opening of the canal allowed national trade which later saw international dealings, leading the city to become one of the principal cities of commerce and industry.

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Worlds Automotive Centre Within the early twentieth century the city was at the peak of its raring automotive industry and was acknowledged as putting ‘America on wheels’ (2008, City-Data). The city’s auto industry was mainly a result Henry Ford, a farmer’s son from Detroit, who built his first car within the city. Although the first automobile had already been established in 1886, ‘it was the method of building cars that he would later devise - the moving assembly line’ (2008, CityData). The appearance of the ‘Big 3 carmakers’, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, held ‘two thirds of the nation’s auto industry jobs’ (Klier, T. H, Rubenstein, J M, 2008, P. 29) and were recognised as being the main participants of Detroit’s economic and industrial boom. The city was not only known for its production of motors, though in its early development it also ‘produced rail cars, carriages, bicycles, pharmaceuticals, garden seeds, shoes, and a great deal more’(2008, City- Data).

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The Great Depression

In the late 1920’s early 1930’s ‘Detroit was one of the first to feel the [great] depression’ (Woodford, A M, 2001, p.

125) and therefore saw one of the first declines, as money tightened and people stopped buying automobiles.

Nonetheless, even though the city was one of the first to see the depression ‘it was one of the first to find a road of recovery’ (p. 125) and in 1936 the ‘carhungry nation began again to buy automobiles’ and the automobile industry ‘proceeded nearly 4.5 million cars and trucks’ (p. 125).

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Detroit has witnessed a ‘Ferris wheel’ of development and decline since the city was founded in 1701, with events such as the motor boom, followed by the great depression and then the second boom of the automobile industry, demonstrate the city’s cycle of emotions. Though, what was recognised as being one of the world’s leading industrial cities, by the end of the 1940’s early 1950’s, is today known for its rapid decrease in economy, industry and culture, a shrinking city.

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There are many reasons as to why a city can be recognised as shrinking and one of the main causes for this are due to the globalisation process. Although technology, communication and transportation are developing, the world is inevitably becoming a lot smaller, and as a consequence, industrial cities and towns, such as Detroit and the others such as Liverpool and Leipziarg, are being threatened by economic, cultural and political decline.

Here are some of the reasons for Detroit’s decline; - Changes in manufacturing - Companies are moving to eastern megacities, such as Shanghai, for better economic opportunities, cheaper production and to be closer international buyers. An example of a company which has moved to Shanghai is General Motors, which now has a ‘5050 partnership’ with SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) (Hayes, J, 2008). Businesses within Detroit cannot compete with these international corporations which are expanding vastly.

- Green Issues – As a result of the high use of chemicals and (See fig 8) 11

materials within the factories, there are unsafe levels of fumes in abandoned areas and industrial sites, such as the Packard industrial plant, which the portfolio will focus on later.

- Segregation – In the 1960’s ‘Detroit had experienced some of the most severe rioting in the country’ due to segregation laws, so therefore many white residents moved to the suburbs, such as Warren, which decreased the population even further (Lamb, C M, 2005, p. 85) .

- People also moved out of the city into the suburbs, for a better quality of life and instead commute to work in the city.

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The Effects of a Shrinking City on Detroit As a result of the shrinking city there are many aspects which are affecting communities, individuals and Detroit’s landscape; As companies based in Detroit cannot compete with other businesses worldwide, their income decreases and therefore causing them to cut back on jobs and the quality and quantity of production. This also causes people to move out of the city to find an improved income and better opportunities.

- Buildings such as homes, offices and warehouses become abandoned as they are too expensive to use or their companies have become bankrupt. Therefore, as the economy declines and the people move out of the city, culture declines also, leaving an array of empty theatres, museums, hotels and cinemas.

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Derelict Paramount Theatre, Detroit (See fig 10)

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Lee Plaza, Detroit (See fig 11)

RUINS 16

When analysing the ruins of Detroit, it is important to take into account the ways in which we should look at the city in relation to the numerous abandoned spaces. Vincent Feldman, in his book City Abandoned: Charting the Loss of Civic Institutions in Philadelphia (Finkel, K, 2014, p.15), describes his psycho-geographic experience of Philadelphia. However, instead of experiencing the city as it is presented to us literally, he asks us to look at the city through ‘a parallel world of rich tones, extraordinary compositions, and grit infused definition’ (p. 15).

Though the author does not ask us to leave our city behind, he does however ask us to move deeper into the ‘feeling and understanding of the city as they pose important questions about our stewardship and the city’s future’ (p. 15). This section will look at some of the beautiful effects of Detroit’s horrible decline in relation to ruin porn, the historical context of the place and how the ruins can be modernised and used as a way of commercialising the city. ] (See fig 12)

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Ruin Porn – A ‘new genre of urban imagery’ (Finkel, K, 2014, p. 15)

Ruin porn is a contemporary trend which was established in 2009 by Thomas Morton, in his blog Something, something, something Detroit: Lazy journalists love pictures of urban imagery.

Kenneth Finkel, within his chapter Looking at the Past, describes this ‘new genre of urban imagery’, ruin porn, explaining that ‘it is not really about photography or history or the future’ (p. 15), however it is about the ‘nakedness of the subject’ (p. 16). Photographers act in a voyeuristic way, capturing these images of naked and abandoned buildings, which are demonstrated as sexual objects, then posting the images on the internet.

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One of the most famous derelict buildings in Detroit, where photographers portray ruin porn, is the Michigan Central Station.

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‘Pillars guard the bombed remains of the windows’ (Joe Braun Photography)

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Finkel exemplified that Michigan’s ‘windowless station’ ‘has become a melancholy symbol of the city’s transformation in death’ (Finkel, K, 2014, p.

15). Although this can be acknowledge through the broken windows, debris and the tattered walls, the photographers use of an orange tone and lighting over the images demonstrates the building to be very much alive. ‘As a genre ruin porn depicts post-industrial cityscapes as sublime spaces devoid of human activity’ (Drennig, G, 2014, p. 162), and the use of graffiti on the wall, in fig 2, highlights this. The graffiti shows aspects of modernity and activity, which have been placed upon the ruins to subvert its order, something which will be discussed later in the portfolio.

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It is interesting to analyse ruin porn in relation to history and our relationship with the past. A good example of examining this subject is by looking at images of the abandoned ‘Motor City’, as it was a predominant aspect of the old industrialised Detroit and initially ran the city.

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A little bit more history…

As a result of the shrinking city, the ‘big 3’ carmakers are now known as the ‘Detroit 3’, ‘even more closely linked with the struggling companies’ ( Klier, T . H, Rubenstein, J M, 2008, p. 29).

No other city was as dependant on one single industry as Detroit was on its manufacturing of cars. Maybe this was a reason for the city’s shrinkage. Nonetheless, there are numerous abandoned industrial plants as a consequence, which can be recognised as a way of ‘looking at the past’ and a reminder of Detroit’s downfall. An example of one of Detroit’s most famous industrial plants is the Packard Automotive Plant. The '3.5 million square foot car manufacturing plant’ was built in 1911, however stopped production in 1958 (Eisenstei, P A, 2013).

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‘Derelict factories and empty office towers gave mute testimony to the collapse of Detroit’s auto industry’ (Klier, T. H, Rubenstein, 25 J M, 2008, p. 29) (See fig 18)

For some, ruins represent places of history, belonging and relationship, however, Georg Drennig in his chapter, Eminem rejects ruin porn, explains otherwise (Drennig, G, 2014, p. 162 163). The author references, professor of English, John Patrick Leary who asses Detroitalism in relation to ruin porn. Leary stated that ‘ruin photos suggest a vanquished, even glorious past but, like the ruins themselves, present no way to understand our own relationship to the decline we are seeing’ (Drennig, G, 2014, p. 162). This could be due to the fact others have made their mark on these ruins, such as through graffiti, claiming it as their own. Or maybe Leary’s statement represents that when Detroit lost its population, economy and culture, people lost their sense of history also. Nevertheless, although relationships may not be built between the ruins and the individual, the decline and the ruins within Detroit are a ‘testimony to [its] collapse’ (Klier, T. H, Rubenstein, J M, 2008, p. 29.

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Graffiti on the ruins of the Packard Automotive Plant.

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Graffiti on ruins and within abandoned buildings can be recognised as places of human activity, bringing what can be seen as ‘dead space’, alive.

Ruins can be acknowledged as spaces of modernity through the act placing contemporary art onto a ruin with historical context, such as the graffiti on the Packard plant in figs 20 and 21.

Drennig stated that the ‘dystopian mode of looking at the city is the view of Detroit as an urban laboratory that provides space for experimenting with new practices of sustainable urbanity and cultural expression’ (Drennig, G, 2014, p. 162). With the derelict industrial spaces of Detroit, such as the motor city, these spaces act as a playground for a new sort of ‘cultural expression’.

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(See fig 21)

Commercialised Ruins and Abandoned Places

Ruin porn has become ‘a decorative morbid urban living accessory and a badge of social aesthetic critical cosmopolitan cultivatedness’ (Drennig, G, 2014, p. 162). Drennig explains that ruins have become representations of contemporary art and are a new trend which can be illustrated in ‘coffee-table books’ (p. 162).One of the ways this can be demonstrated is through the recognised street artist Banksy who in 2010 painted the ruins of Detroit with his artwork.

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Banksy’s street art on the ruins in Detroit illustrates how these abandoned places are becoming products of commercialisation, also highlighting Detroit as a modern cultural city. Banksy was once an independent street artist; however over the years the masked artist’s work has become more and more renowned and is now displayed in distinguished art galleries all over the world.

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(See fig 24)

The artist can also be acknowledged as a well-known brand, as canvases of his own work, as well as clothing merchandise, can be bought online. This is significant as although it is a way of exercising urbanity and cultural expression, in which numerous artists follow in Banksy’s footsteps, due to the fact the artist is now a global brand highlights the ruins as, a sort of, ‘outside gallery’. Ruins in this light are representations of modernity as the historical context behind these magnificent places has been over shadowed by the contemporary art.

Nonetheless, it could be seen as a positive aspect for Detroit’s cultural background, as it could be acknowledged as a way of luring people into the city.

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Graffiti is not the only aspect that demonstrates how Detroit’s ruins and abandoned buildings can be acknowledged as becoming commercial and modern places.

The city can also be seen as a museum of the Motown culture in the 1950’s, with its numerous abandoned studios and famous artist’s homes.

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(See fig 25)

Motown The mid twentieth century not only saw Detroit’s economic progress, as a result of the auto industry, but also the rise of the Motown, which as well as aiding the city’s financial development, also brought a new culture to Michigan and to the rest of the world . Motown was originally a record company founded by Berry Gordy in 1959, however it has influenced many sub cultures, such as Northern Soul in Britain. ‘Motown quickly became another Detroit factory; where the Big Three produced automobiles, Motown assembled the soul and pop classics that changed America’ (Monday, G C, 2009). Motown is a significant aspect of Detroit’s history, and so when the city saw the fall of its economy it also saw the fall of the Motown culture as well.

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Today there are numerous Motown studios, which have either been transformed from abandoned buildings into memorials, like the Hitsville USA Studios, or have been left as empty places, such as the United Sound Systems recording studio.

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(See fig 26)

Like Banksy, who has transformed some of Detroit’s ruins into commercial ‘open galleries’, the abandoned studios also represent elements of commercialisation as some of the derelict buildings have been changed into museums of the Motown culture, where tourists pay to enter, or they are acknowledged as abandoned monuments of Detroit’s history.

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Conclusion After analysing the historical background of Detroit’s economy and culture, it is interesting to assess how and why it is one of the world’s fastest shrinking cities. The portfolio depicts how the process of globalisation, and other factors, have had, or are having, an effect on old industrial cities which are trying to compete with affluent megacities, such as Shanghai. It exercises clearly that ‘what happens here is increasingly, related to, and even depends upon, what happens there in the new global economy’ (Alderson, A S, Beckfield, J, 2012, p. 126). It also highlights how it is easier to move finance than it is to move labour around the globe, which consequently results in job losses for the people in Detroit.

Conversely, it is apparent that even though Detroit has witnessed one of the most horrible declines in economy and culture, it has evidently created the city as a display of some of the most renowned and fascinating ruins in the world. How these ruins are captured in relation to ruin porn has emphasised a new global genre, and demonstrates a new way of experiencing the city, the ruins and the abandoned buildings within it. Furthermore, when examining how city has become modernised, the way in which graffiti has been placed within these abandoned places raises questions of ‘stewardship’, relationships and belonging for the individual. When looking at the use of Banksy and the transformed abandoned Motown Studios, it is clear the ways in which the ruins and abandoned buildings can be recognised as commercial products of Detroit and also making us question how they could impact the ‘city’s future’. Nevertheless, the city’s history, ruins and abandoned buildings exemplifies ‘Detroit’s beautiful horrible decline’.

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Bibliography

Alderson, A S, Beckfield, J (2012) Corporate Networks of World Cities. In: International handbook of globalisation and world cities. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, p. 126.

Chen, X M, Orum, A M. and Paulsen, K E. (2013) Introduction to Cities: How Place and Space Shape Human Experience.

Wiley-Blackwell. P. 286.

Detroit (2008) City-Data. Available from: http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Detroit-History.html [Accessed on 11th May 2014].

Drennig, G, (2014) Eminem rejects ruin porn. In: Is It 'Cause It's Cool?: Affective Encounters with American Culture.

Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, p. 162 – 163.

Eisenstei, P A (2013) Detroit's iconic Packard plant could soon be back in business. NBC News. Published on October 29th 2013. Available from: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/detroits-iconic-packard-plant-could-soon-be-backbusiness-f8C11487943 [Accessed on 14th May 2014].

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Hayes, J (2008) Manufacturing Car companies in China. [Internet] Available from: http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=360#01 [Accessed on 5th May 2014]

Klier, T . H, Rubenstein, J M (2008) The Parts of Your Vehicle In: Who Really Made Your Car?: Restructuring and Geographic Change in the Auto Indusrty. P. 29.

Lamb, C M (2005) George Romney’s Blueprint for Suburban Integration. In: Housing Segregation in Suburban America since 1960: Presidential and Judicial Politics. Cambridge University Press, p. 85.

Marchand, Y, Meffre, R (n/a) Detroit’s beautiful, horrible decline. Time. Internet. Available from: http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1882089,00.html [Accessed on 15th May 2014]

Monday, G C (2009) Motown . Time . [Internet] Available from: http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1870975,00.html [Accessed on 17th May 2014 ]

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Finkel, K (2014) Looking at the past. In: City Abandoned: Charting the Loss of Civic Institutions in Philadelphia. Paul Dry Books, INC, p 15.

Woodford, A M (2001) The Great Deppression. In : This is Detroit, 1701-2001. Wayne State University Press, p. 125.

Images Fig 1 - Ruins of Detroit. Available from: http://www.marchandmeffre.com/detroit/ [Accessed on 5th May 2014].

Fig 2 – Detroit Birdseye.Available from: http://mashable.com/2013/07/18/detroit-files-for-bankruptcy/ [Accessed on 15th May 2014] Fig 3 – Ferris Wheel. Available from: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/03/uniroyal-gianttire-detroit/1 [Accessed on 15th May 2014] Fig 4 – Old Erie Calan. Available from: http://www.greenvillechamber-pa.com/relocation.aspx?v=10 [Accessed on 11th May 2014].

Fig 5 – Henry Ford in his first car. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/picture/2013/jul/31/henryford-car-photography [Accessed on 16th May 2014] Fig 6 – The great depression. Available from: http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Design/Gartman/D_Casestudy/Great_Depression.htm [Accessed on 14th May 2014]

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Fig 7 – Detroit Memorial. Available from: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/detroit-institute-of-artsdetroit?select=XiXtBENc21z8_g_DfCm6qw#XiXtBENc21z8_g_DfCm6qw [Accessed on 16th May] Fig 8 – SIAC. Available from: http://www.wemotor.com/blog/2013/04/federal-auto-and-saic-to-revive-mg-in-malaysia/ [Accessed on 16th May 2014] Fig 9 – Segregation. Available from: http://www.bnyee.org/edeconomicinequity.htm [Accessed on 16th May 2014] Fig 10 – Paramount Theatre. Available from: http://www.abandonedonline.net/locations/theaters/paramount-theatre/ [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 11 – Lee Plaza. Available From: http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/The-abandoned-buildings-of-Detroit4674912.php [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 12 –Detroit City. Available from: http://www.salon.com/2013/07/12/white_people_killed_detroit/ [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 13 – Hospital bed. Available from: http://www.citylab.com/design/2012/01/psychology-ruin-porn/886/ [Accessed on 18th May 2014] Fig 14 - Michigan Central Station. Available from: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3487/3737108423_52d51d9710_b.jpg [Accessed on 11th May 2014] Fig 15 - Ticket Office. Available from: http://www.citrusmilo.com/mymi/detroit2.cfm [Accessed on 11th May 2014] Fig 16 – Bathroom. Available from: http://www.citrusmilo.com/mymi/detroit2.cfm [Accessed on 11th May 2014]

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Fig 17 – ‘Motor City’. Available from: http://www.blacdetroit.com/core/pagetools.php?pageid=15918&url=%2FBLACDetroit%2FApril-2013%2FMotown-Landmarks-Photo-Tour%2F&mode=print [Accessed on 11th May 2014].

Fig 18 – Packard Plant. Available from: http://www.blacdetroit.com/core/pagetools.php?pageid=15918&url=%2FBLACDetroit%2FApril-2013%2FMotown-Landmarks-Photo-Tour%2F&mode=print [Available from 11th May 2014] Fig 19 – Enjoy Detroit. Available from: http://graffitialphabeto.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Enjoy-Detroit-GraffitiBrick-Wall.jpg [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 20 – Packard Plant Graffiti. Available from: http://gb.pinterest.com/pin/285978645061711776/ [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 21 – Packard Plant graffiti 2. Available from: http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Once-mighty-Motor-City-filesfor-bankruptcy-4673011.php#photo-4933566 [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 22 – Banksy Cadged Bird. Available from: http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/helgavikinglens/Interesting [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 23 – Banksy I remember when all this was trees. Available from: http://detroitblank.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/555banksy-lawsuit-drawing-to.html [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 24 – Banksy Girl Holding Diamond. Available from: http://nuart09.blogspot.com.es/2010/05/banksy-in-detroitpt2.html [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 25 – Motown. Available from: http://sopranosaxtalk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-metronome-friend-or-foe.html [Accessed on 19th May 2014] 46

Fig 26 – United Sound Systems. Available from: http://www.blacdetroit.com/core/pagetools.php?pageid=15918&url=%2FBLAC-Detroit%2FApril-2013%2FMotownLandmarks-Photo-Tour%2F&mode=print [Accessed on 19th May 2014] Fig 27 – Hitsville. Available from: http://www.blacdetroit.com/core/pagetools.php?pageid=15918&url=%2FBLACDetroit%2FApril-2013%2FMotown-Landmarks-Photo-Tour%2F&mode=print [Accessed on 19th May 2014]

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