Alley Works contains photos I’ve taken while wandering the alleys of Indianapolis, IN. Through this series, I ask you to slow down, notice what’s around you, and find delight in new or unexpected areas of your life.

It started amid a creative drought. I felt uninspired. I had photographed my neighborhood from every imaginable angle. There was nothing left to say. Then, one idle Saturday, I found myself drawn down an alley.

Contrasting colors, darkened and distressed in some areas or faded by time in others, unfolded before me. Nature quietly reclaimed its dominance over the built environment. Forgotten restoration projects laid decaying, the only remaining relics of the homeowner’s overambitious dream.

Alleys are our neighborhoods’ junk drawer. They are places we designed to shove the things that we want to be out of sight and out of mind. Amidst this neglect, balance is born from disorder. Objects of function were waiting to be reinvigorated with a new kind of utility. Wonderful, abstract compositions are realized in the margin.

Alley Works asks, "What could we see if we gave ourselves the permission to pause, notice, and pursue the areas that draw our attention?" 

The Lost Dog Gallery 8”x10” Group Show marks the first public exhibition of Alley Works. The 12 photos selected for this exhibition were taken during a single day in the Indianapolis neighborhoods of Near North, Old Northside, Herron Morton, and Fall Creek Place.