Detroit by Daimon Xanthopoulos (February 17, 2010) 
(9 votes, average: 3.44 out of 5)
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Categories / Documentary Portraiture / Documentary Reportage / / Click here to open comments section, click again when done to close / 1 Comment
Curator Statement by The Black Snapper
Most of Daimon's work focuses on Africa, he has made strong documentary work in Uganda, working as a freelancer with Trouw newspaper for a number of years. The work presented here was created in cooperation with the VPRO radio network. It really shows the strength of audio slideshows. Due to its nature, photography needs a second medium to contextualize it. To me, there is no better way then to allow the people portrayed to tell their own stories. Daimon has done that extremely well, the Detroit work is heartbreaking.
Next / The Need To Be Connected To Something Greater / Previous / I Was Humbled By People’s Resilience And Hospitality /
Our poll "A photo essay always needs a great written story" closed. 267 people voted, 28% agrees, 72% disagrees. 233 people answered our follow-up question "Are you a photographer?" 82% indicated they are, 18% said no. Initially, negative answers to question #1 were almost 100% as was the pecentage of photographers among respondants. Then, when the level of non-photographers started to rise, the percentage of people indicating good text is always essential started to rise too. This seems to indicate that non-photographers think that adding good text to your photo essays is essential. In my opinion: if you want non-photographers to dig your work, you know what to do...
Detroit has been in decline for thirty years now. Its population has been halved and most of the people left behind are poor and demoralised. One third of them live below the poverty line, 22% is unemployed.
Detroit is a bankrupt city with no hope of addressing the problems of its distressed neighbourhoods, where the only chance of positive change comes in the form of local self-help initiatives.
Everyday families are being evicted and an increasing number of people find themselves homeless on the street.
With the economy still going down the situation worsens and everyone is holding their breath, trying to overcome the crisis that struck this once famous industrial automotive city.
Daimon Xanthopoulos (1979) lives and works in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Click weblink daimon.nl/digital-story or browse our archives
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Posted in category 647
I was about to write “outstanding” but I realised that the “hertbreaking” that Margo chose really fits. My compliments.