One eveing in the summer of 2018, I was walking around the old grain elevator north and west of the square in Chariton, Iowa, observing the dull gray metal spotted by the rust of decades. On the west side of the building, I stepped among the weeds and onto one the large concrete circles that used to be the base of a grain bin. I was looking at the light from the fading sun reflecting off the tin on the west side of the building.
The year before, I’d been at this very same location, looking for a composition that reflected the strength and perseverance of this old structure, a structure that had long surpassed its 80-year lifespan. I used to work in agribusiness loss control, so I knew that wooden grain elevators like this were tinderboxes, full of explosive grain dust. That this one was still standing, though not in operation, had a huge impact on me.
I got lucky with a wider lens and the perfect sunset that evening, and I assumed this image was going to be better than the one I captured a year later. When I checked out the LCD on the back of my camera, I felt a new level of satisfaction. In post-production on the computer, I boosted the contrast and removed most of the color and this sepia-toned representation of a proud, old, producting facility emerged from the computer. I knew I’d captured something special, the first one of my images that raised the bar for my work.
I went back to the area on another day in 2022, in the morning light to see how it affected the image but it wasn’t as impressive. Only a small part of the headhouse caught the light from the east.
The image is titled “Still Standing,” and it earned best of show in the 2019 Ankeny Art Center’s Member Show. In my opinion, this building is impressive at any size, but at eight feet tall, it is the central piece in an exhibition that has been hung at the Blanden Memorial Art Museum in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and the Warren Cultural Center in Greenfield, Iowa in 2022. It will also be the featured piece in the next iteration of the exhibit September – November 2024 at Art Farm Iowa in Northwood, Iowa. Check out the events tab to see the details and plan now to stop in and see the exhibit!
Last year, I heard that the building had been purchased by a man who is planning an event space on the grounds around the stunning building. He purchased a large canvas that I was very happy to share, knowing at the same time that this old man was still standing, bringing pleasure to others.
