Teach with Collections: Andrew Moore, Model T Headquarters, Highland Park

Moore's 2009 photograph of the former executive offices of Ford's Model T Headquarters building in Detroit conveys a sense of both death and rebirth, as the metallic walls of the abandoned space have bloomed into rust and the carpet has sprouted moss. Moore pointed out the themes of decay and growth that are present in the work: "In an urban setting, you could also have a landscape happening, the forces of nature intersecting with American urbanism, the process of decline also intersecting with the revival of nature."

Conversation prompts: 1. Many photographers have been interested in capturing architectural ruins or landscapes in a state of ruin. What are the ethical questions implicit in capturing such scenes and memories, and how do these questions change for works that contain figures?

2.Consider the use of color versus black-and-white photography and their varied effects on the viewer.What connections might we draw between materiality and nostalgia?

3. How have our views of the destruction of buildings and man-made destruction changed post-9/11? How might the ruins captured here reflect a particular state of mind or interpretation of history?