The city of Flint, Michigan, was the birthplace of General Motors, and its name used to be synonymous with the American automobile industry. In recent years, however, it’s been an avatar of urban decay, known for its disastrous finances and for its crime statistics — it’s been named the most dangerous city in America three years running, and its murder rate in 2012 was worse than Baghdad’s. Photographers Juan Madrid and Brett Carlsen’s collaborative project, Welcome to Flint, looks beyond the statistics at the city itself, and the results are fascinating. Their styles differ significantly — Madrid is a fine art photographer, Carlsen a photojournalist — but together they provide a portrait of the city and its inhabitants. Check out more of their work, and read more about the project, at Featureshoot.
Photo credit: Juan Madrid
Photo credit: Juan Madrid
Photo credit: Brett Carlsen
Photo credit: Brett Carlsen
Photo credit: Brett Carlsen
Photo credit: Juan Madrid
Photo credit: Juan Madrid
Photo credit: Juan Madrid
Photo credit: Juan Madrid
Photo credit: Brett Carlsen