artist statement 
My work is exploring the identity of a city by comparing its current state with the cultural and historical context that got it to that point. With the images I'm making reference to infrastructure and human interaction with it. At the same rate that infrastructure decays the identity of a city and its people morph along with it. Referencing St. Louis specifically, a city with a very rich historical significance, there are many artifacts both ephemeral and enduring that write its story. Images of housing and industry built primarily of red brick from some of the richest red clay deposits in the country give the work a consistent palette which is a reflection of the visual identity of the city. Once a manufacturing powerhouse city built along the two largest trade byways in America, its people are left to reckon with what little is left of the city’s past economic success. Alongside present day images are maps of original city planning documents highlighting the importance of the Mississippi river to the layout of the city. Other cultural references such as the playboy club coming and going represent the previous status of the city in American culture. My goal is to tell a visual story of a city which has a lot of proud residents and rich culture, but that has also been neglected and decaying.

bio
Mitchell Hurst is a Photographer and Printmaker from St. Louis, Mo. His work is documentary based and is mainly concerned with the condition of living and the history of his surroundings. Mitchell’s work was included in the Palm Photo Prize Exhibition in London in 2019. His work has been published in various group publications as well as being featured in online publications.

contact information
https://www.mitchellhurst.com/
Instagram: @mitchell_jhurst