There is no questioning the allure of Detroit. Over the last few years, the city has attracted documentary photographers and graffiti artists spurred by desire to either beautify or capture urban decay. Forgotten, often, is the pull of the city before recent depression. The buzz and pace of America's auto industry has enticed photographers for seven decades. Noted artists Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Dave Jordano, Karin Jobst, Detroiters Nicola Kuperus, Russ Marshall and Bill Rauhauser have all turned their cameras towards various aspects of the Motor City.
Motor City Muse: Detroit Photographs, Then and Now is on view through June 16, 2012 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The exhibition explores how the people, streets, and automobile culture of Detroit have inspired photographers and how their subsequent art has documented the changing landscape of the city.
