Landscapes of Forgotten Forts

Current Projects / Landscapes of Forgotten Forts

Landscapes of Forgotten Forts explores relationships between history and art, war and peace, built and natural environments, absence and presence. For almost twenty years I have photographed the three forts—Worden, Flagler, and Casey—that comprised the Triangle of Fire protecting the Puget Sound during WWI and WWII, invoking their original purpose, now long overrun by nature. I’m drawn to this environment knowing its history, in contrast to its current peaceful, meditative state. The weathered wartime structures appear to be slowly returning to the earth.

On my initial visit, experiencing the lovely light filtering through the trees, the forest sounds, and the lush vegetation covering the bunkers, I tried to envision what it would have been like when the bunkers were filled with soldiers. This brought to mind my father sharing his experiences in the war and spurred me to immerse myself in photographing and researching the three forts. I have captured the abandoned forts entwined with the continual regeneration of the rich landscape enveloping the abandoned structures, reminding us that while the soldiers are gone, we are connected to the stories of the forts, and their histories continue to evolve.

With several images from the Forts series I have collaborated with the poet Kelli Russell Agodon. She responds to my photographs with poems that explore the history of the fort, personify the soldiers who were stationed there, and interpret what it is like to be there now, juxtaposed with the current affairs of our country. I offer Kelli images and she answers with a poem.

All work is available for purchase in limited editions and various sizes and for exhibitions. Please see more information here.

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Altered Landscape, Fort Casey, Seattle Public Utilities Fresh Perspectives Purchases 2020, Group Exhibition, Seattle Municipal Tower Gallery, Seattle, WA, 2020, (poem by Kelli Russell Agodon)

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The Monarchs Disappear, Fort Flagler, 2014-2026, Archival Pigment Print

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What Remains, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2012-2026

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Randol, Quarles, and Ash, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2016-2026

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Instead Of War, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2008-2026

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Power Plant, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2008-2026

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Her Story, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2008-2026

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Fort Worden, Winter, Archival Pigment Print, 2008-2026

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Deer and Storehouse, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2008-2026

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Fall Fog, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2012-2026

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Remember, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2012-2026

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Imagining Soldiers, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2016-2026

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Battery Randol, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2009-2026

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Tree and Battery Ash, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2013-2026

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Radio Station, Fort Worden, Fall, Archival Pigment Print, 2015-2026

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Fort Flagler, Summer, Archival Pigment Print, 2013-2022

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Fort Worden, Winter, Archival Pigment Print, 2016-2026

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Fort Worden, Spring, Archival Pigment Print, 2015-2026

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Fort Flagler, Spring, Archival Pigment Print, 2016-2026

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Fort Worden, Summer, Archival Pigment Print, 2008-2026

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Militia Storeroom, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2022-2026

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Search Light, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2016-2026

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Militia Storeroom, Fort Worden, Archival Pigment Print, 2012-2026

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Landscape of Empty, Fort Casey, Archival Pigment Print, 2016-2019

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Fort Casey, Spring, Archival Pigment Print, 2009-2026

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Fort Flagler, Spring, Archival Pigment Print, 2009-2026

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Altered Landscape, Fort Casey, Archival Pigment Print, 2014-2026

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Fort Flagler, Fall, Archival Pigment Print, 2012-2022

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The Eclipse Went Wild, Fort Flagler, Archival Pigment Print, 2016-2024

All work is available for purchase in limited editions and various sizes and for exhibitions. Please see more information here.

Altered Landscape, Fort Casey, Seattle Public Utilities Fresh Perspectives Purchases 2020, Group Exhibition, Seattle Municipal Tower Gallery, Seattle, WA, 2020, (poem by Kelli Russell Agodon)