Dan Mrotek (b. 1989, Illinois) is an artist based in Chicago. Dan recently received his BA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago, where he was an intern at the Museum of Contemporary Photography. His work explores the lives lived in particular cities and regions of America, largely through the vernacular and built environment. Perhaps best described as observing through an ‘in absentia’ mode of working, Dan is interested in the ability of the photographic medium to both define and question, and its suitability for story telling.
Everything Except Our Stories
In the body of work, Everything Except Our Stories, Dan Mrotek explores a psychological landscape existing in one of the US regions marked by failing industry and declining populations; what’s referred to as the “Rust Belt”. This depiction of the American Landscape exists somewhere between documentary and fiction. Weaving in and out, creating a fragmented narrative, with the hopes of creating an experiential understanding of place. These images attempt to explore the subtle indicators of a region dealing with a prolonged state of desolation, as well as a reverie for the way things once were.
To view more of Dans work please visit his website.