Artist Statement: Rush Hour

All of these photographs were taken during rush hour, often in heavy traffic.
Long time exposures were used to make the cars —­ and anything moving — disappear.

We normally think of the freeway as a place of unceasing motion and energy. While driving, you might experience the freeway as a place where you chose your trajectory with near airborne freedom and independence — as if you are flying about in a bubble with no impact on your fellow travellers or environment. But with all the rushing about, it's easy to forget the massive concrete roadway that supports us, constrains us, and binds us together.

By stripping away the vehicles, these photos force us to look down, appreciate the freeways, and consider where these paths are leading us.

- Steve Hanson, May, 2008

Artist Statement: "Only Once in a City": Seattle's Scottish Rite Masonic Center

Seattle's Scottish Rite Masonic Center was torn down in the summer of 2006.

A few days before demolition, the building manager allowed me to photograph the interior.
He said the members were forced to sell the building because they could not afford the upkeep, heating alone costing thousands of dollars a month.

Inside I found:

• Three different exhibition halls, a main one and two smaller ones.
• Hundreds of props and costumes for the performance of plays and rituals (on biblical and mythological themes).
• Changing rooms, a kitchen, and cafeteria.
• Many art works, sculptures, plaques, and commemorative items that only a Mason (which I am not) could explain. 

Luxury condominiums are currently being built on the site: their marketing slogan is "Only Once in a City".

I offer these photos as a window into a secret, and lost, world.

- Steve Hanson, August, 2008