Untitled (Vernor's Ginger Ale)

Artist Gordon Newton (American, 1948-2019)

Daten.d.

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsPaper Size: 16 × 20 in. (40.6 × 50.8 cm)

ClassificationsPhotograph

Credit LineGift of James Pearson Duffy, 2008

Object numberUAC3468

DescriptionKnown for his prolific artistic output and contribution to the Cass Corridor movement, Gordon Newton is not typically thought of for his photography, but for his constructions, drawings, and paintings. This untitled photograph is of the old Vernor’s factory which sat on Woodward across from what is now the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and was demolished in 1955 intended as the original site of Cobo Hall, but sat as an empty lot for decades before being turned into apartment buildings and parking structures. The photograph is a telling one as it juxtaposes the decadent reality of industrial decay with nature, a common theme in Newton’s work, as indicated by the original Vernor’s logo in the foreground, the empty lot, and the predominantly abandoned and ruinous buildings in the background. It speaks to many of the troubles that have plagued Detroit since the end of the second World War, and can perhaps be viewed as being inspiring or hopeful since the empty lot and many of the building have since been reclaimed and used in an effort to aid Detroit’s rebirth.

Collections