Hillsides

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Train tracks, greenscapes, frozen diamonds, handrails, fence lines
& Pittsburgh.


For over a decade, my photographic explorations have focused on documenting the built environment and the cultural landscape of specific places. A resident of coastal flatlands for much of my life, I moved to Pittsburgh in 2016 and immediately became enamored with the unique topographical conditions of life in this verdant upland city. Situated within the lush Western Pennsylvania forest, on undulating terrain with a vista point from every bridge, hollow, hillside and street corner, Pittsburgh presents a unique case study for observing how we have built and inhabit urban space. Indeed, the land on which the city rests has forced this photographer to adopt new perspectives and methods of working. Consequently, I have embarked on making a collection of photos that examine the distinct features that make Pittsburgh a fascination by climbing city steps, peeking through the trees and bushes and approaching the cityscape from the angles that the terrain demands. In my explorations, I’ve gathered pictures that feature curious arrangements of the metropolis from above and below.—Sean Carroll



Sean Carroll is an artist working in photography and video, raised in coastal Massachusetts, now living in Pittsburgh. He received an MFA in photography from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where he lived for many years, and teaches within the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. A version of this photo essay appears in the 2019 Nowhere Print Annual. (All images © Sean Carroll.)

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3 Comments

  1. Sean, these photos are utterly MAGNIFICENT and your writing complements them perfetlly. You are a talented phtographer indeed! WOW!

  2. Awesome work! If I didn’t already live in Pittsburgh, these pics would make me want to live here!

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