This is a reworking of scraps of photos from an earlier World Trade Center collage. It was the last time I photographed the towers before 9/11. Prior to that I had been occasionally taking pictures of the towers, and making photo collages, since 1979. I can remember not having too much of a plan for that collage, and in fact never really pursued it (until well after 9/11). Now the remaining scraps and negatives are unexpectedly precious. Among the many emotions and feelings arising from the tragic events of 9/11, a fleeting feeling of guilt sometimes stand out – why didn’t I take more pictures, make more collages of this wonderful pair of absurd architectural monoliths?
The collage here speaks to my/our ongoing efforts to make sense of the events of 9/11, working from our fragmented memories as we try to put back together what was broken, reflexively building a spiritual composite in our minds from the best parts, similar to how we keep alive a positive memory of a passed loved one. I really, really do miss those buildings.
David McGlynn 