THE BRIDGE AT HOOVER DAM
How a structure and its creation are documented dramatically impacts how it is remembered in history. Construction of the bridge downstream from Hoover Dam is unique for its historical importance, proximity to the dam, and technical achievement, bridging the Black Canyon over the Colorado River with North America's longest concrete arch span. The bridge challenges us to examine the juncture of nature and technology on a scale that is both grand and human.
When I first photographed the bridge in March 2009, it immediately captured my imagination. Watching the bridge's construction, especially at night, was captivating and inspiring. The photo essay, which developed from this initial encounter, let me meld my photographic and aesthetic sensibilities with a reawakened sense of childhood curiosity and awe. Photographically, the bridge, as the subject, was creatively and technically challenging, dynamic, and transitory.
Over two years, I returned to the bridge again and again. As it evolved, each visit required fresh perspectives and visual inquiry. The opportunity to spend extended time with a single subject brought a depth of understanding to the approach and the resulting body of work.
The overarching goals of The Bridge at Hoover Dam were to acknowledge the collective talents and labors of those who built the bridge, to place the bridge within the historical and aesthetic context of Hoover Dam and the American West, and to contribute to a dialogue that the imposition of infrastructure within a natural environment inevitably summons.
For a more in depth look at this project, please visit bridgeathooverdam.com
The Bridge at Hoover Dam is a traveling exhibition and a book published by Nazraeli Press (2011).
Special thanks to T.Y. LIN INTERNATIONAL, Lead Bridge Design, for their generous support of the book.