The Rustbelt
Bethlehem, Allentown, Duluth,Superior, Erie,
Cananjoharie, Little Falls, Gary and many more.
Names on map to most of us but these
very real places have their stories to tell.
Immigrants mostly did the living and dying in these industrial towns.
Rust & Roadsides is our attempt to capture
some of the spirit, grit and powerful stories of those who served these industries.
We have a profound sense that time is running out to record these things before the people and places disappear into obscurity.
As artists standing for hours at a time
recording with paint we have the unique opportunity to be enveloped by our environment and absorb and record the Spirit of Place through the work.
At its best our pictures are the byproducts of a sensory and emotional collaboration with our subjects.
Behind every bit of cracked masonry, rusted iron and faded paint there are calloused hands, long days and lives expended.
It’s impossible to dwell in these towns and not feel it.
So, it’s our hope that we can honor those regular, anonymous folks whose sweat and toil helped build America and perhaps share a bit of their story.
– Joe Paquet & John Cosby
Travel Blog Entries
Rust & Roadsides Trip # 5 Canajoharie & Little Falls, NY
After our last brutal trip along the shores of lake Erie we were heading to the Albany airport enjoying views of the Erie Canal and Mowhawk Valley when we caught a glimpse of the old Beechnut factory in Cananjoharie. Pulling off the highway we discovered a mill town intact: an aspect of the project we […]
Painting Trip #4 – Days 1&2
Day 1, April 28
It all started so well, a beautiful spring day. Drove first to Scranton PA to see what was left of the railroad & mining there. Most everything was either modernized or being reused which was a good thing for the town — it seemed healthier than most. Not much left to paint and after three hours of nosing around, we made the long pull for Erie, arriving at 10:30pm and began organizing paint boxes and panels, both chomping at the bit to get started.
Bedrock, Buttresses and Bricks, Little Falls New York
24 x 30 Oil on Linen, John Cosby
Of Mills Men Canajoharie Creek, Cananjoharie New York
30 x 24, Oil on Mounted Linen, Joe Paquet
Ashtabula Above the Docks, Ashtabula Ohio
20 x 24 Oil on Linen, John Cosby
Lake and Rail Elevator, Buffalo New York
24 x 30, Oil on Mounted Linen, Joe Paquet