Barrels (2019/1967)
(Black & White 16mm / 5:19 min)

In 1967 I recorded black and white footage of a barrel reconditioning company using 16mm film in "Steel City", Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I stumbled upon it during one of my walks exploring the industrial area. I was immediately attracted to the patterns and geometric shapes of the stacked steel drums that were strewn about the storage yard as well as the processing sounds and the overwhelming oppressive atmosphere inside the facility. The cleaning procedure blotted out the surrounding neighborhood sounds so when the business closed, there was a quiet solitude, a loneliness that descended over the area that seemed to capture what it was like living so close to such an industrial site.

Editing: Pad McLaughlin