Seduction to Destruction

Seduction to Destruction

Comparing and contrasting Aspen, Colorado and Provincetown, Massachusetts via photos and interviews pointing out the amazing similarities in the two destination resorts as they both struggle to maintain and even survive.

Millions of people are seduced by the natural resources that surround Aspen, Colorado in the west and Provincetown, Massachusetts in the east. Siren calls attract folk like the Mailers, the O'Neils, Hawthornes and Henches along with the Pfeiffers and Paepkes, and even Joe-the- plumber types. Everyone drawn to these places has had a promising vision for their life in their respective town. But their visions are melting into air, or at least radically changing, because of greed, politics, buy-and-flip real estate deals, and more. Contemporary booms of various kinds are busts. And the quality of life in these disparate towns is getting further diminished every year in surprisingly similar ways.

This "Seduction to Destruction" project would showcase portraits and quotes from interviews with those who call Aspen or Provincetown "home," for better or worse. I would capture the quality-of-life issues folk in both towns share (i.e., affordable housing, health care, year-round employment, education). I would photograph and interview common worker bees as well as city leaders. I also would photograph the ever increasing "homeless" and, the newest class, the transient homeless in Aspen and Provincetown.

I envision "Seduction and Destruction" would include opening shots of each town with large format photographs, have candid portraits, street shots, video interviews on screen, and archival photos showing a bit of each town's history/people-side-by-side to underscore similarities-and show people in settings that subtly underscore what the towns have in common. A piece of the project could also be broadcast live over the web with interactive web cams so people from each town could talk and interact with the other.

People who either visit or live in towns that cater to tourists, especially, might be intrigued with candid perspectives of these towns' residents. Other people who simply struggle with tough economic times, wherever they live, might find relevance in my "Seduction to Destruction" project.

Being a citizen of Aspen for decades, but also having fallen in love with the Cape over the past years, I've been seduced.
I work for Pitkin County government now, have many friends in Provincetown, and I am in an excellent position to photograph and put together "Seduction to Destruction." It would involve a fair amount of traveling and time to interact with people in both areas during high seasons and low seasons. For example, Provincetown nearly becomes a ghost town in winter while Aspen is usually packed with tourists in the winter. Even so, the time, travel and results would be my "dream assignment."

     If any of my Gaia friends would like to help make this dream photographic assignment come true for me, follow the link, read my essay, and if you feel it's worth making it come true, take a few minutes to register, then go back to my essay and vote for it by clicking on the yellow button that says, PICS.  Comments left also help to raise my score.  There scores of other great ideas and dreams, read them as well and help others make their dreams come true!  Thanks.

     http://nameyourdreamassignment.com/the-ideas/Geo/seduction-to-destruction/