ALTON - Hank Ford has always been fascinated by eerie places.
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The photographer has worn many hats, from documentarian to social media manager. He relocated to Alton two years ago, where he is intrigued by ghost stories but not interested in horror movies. Instead, he has found a passion for liminal spaces and “the implied existence of humans” in his photography, now on display at Milton Schoolhouse.
“There’s just something very visceral about seeing creepy things that aren’t Freddie or Jason chasing you with a knife,” Ford said. “I’m not interested in that kind of stuff. But this feeling, like maybe I shouldn’t be here, has always attracted me. Maybe it’s a childhood of sneaking into abandoned buildings and hanging out with your friends as a teenager. That space, as weird as it feels, may be comfortable to me.”
For his 15th birthday, Ford’s father gifted him a camera. This began his journey of photography. Over the years, photography has been a career and a hobby. But these days, he simply views it as passion.
Ford didn’t have a linear journey to Alton. After a childhood in England, he was traveling in the United States to film a documentary when he landed in San Diego and fell in love with California.
He soon met a group of musicians, who hired Ford to document their tour and manage their social media. He traveled around the U.S. with the band and had a “really, really, really cool time.”
“I kind of felt lost though, sometimes,” he shared. “You wake up in the town and you have to ask someone, where are we? We’re in Detroit, Michigan, today? Okay. But it was a really, really, really cool life.”
The tour ran its course, and Ford trekked back to San Diego, where he started working with an influencer. But it was “soulless” work. Tired of the world of Instagram likes, Ford turned back to film photography. He decided it was time to enjoy his art again.
The decision coincided with his move to Alton two years ago. Ford and his wife had a few requirements before they moved. They wanted a foreclosed house that needed some remodeling, a project they could work on together, and they wanted to be near a Target. With ten options around the country, Alton’s proximity to Target called to them. They moved two years ago and fell in love with the town, the ghost stories and the art scene.
Since then, Ford has recommitted to film photography with a focus on human subjects and liminal spaces. He and his wife often drive around the Riverbend region and stop when they spot something that piques their interest.
“I guess I’m trying to capture a feeling with photography,” Ford said. “I tend to travel around with a camera strapped to me all day long, and those kind of weird and uncomfortable corners of buildings, deep, dingy basements — that’s the stuff that grabs me more than, like, a beautiful tree or beautiful animal. That’s fun, but at this deep, jaded stage in my career as a photographer, that stuff is old news to me, unfortunately.”
Ford will take one shot on his film camera and then wait months to develop it; in a society of instant gratification, he loves the artistry behind that. With thousands of photos stored on hard drives, Ford was finally convinced by his wife to reach out to Milton Schoolhouse. He has served as the Artist of the Month for December and January, and the experience has been vulnerable, but rewarding.
“It’s the first time really displaying anything in a ‘look at my art’ setting,” he explained. “I guess it’s scary. I’m trying to convince someone that the art is good. That’s a very hard thing to do.”
But to Ford’s pleasant surprise, people do think it’s good. In fact, people have been buying it, and it’s a reminder to Ford that art can connect a community — and that he’s not alone.
“People are buying it. That’s the cool thing. People feel the same thing I’m feeling,” he said. “There’s this one photo that's one of my favorites, of two friends, both on skateboards, in this dingy little basement. I forget what town we were in. They’re both in a kick flip at the same time. And it’s this surreal, frozen in time, liminal space moment. It was one of my favorites. And someone else loved it and bought it. I just — it’s a great feeling to feel like I’m not a weirdo who feels this on my own. Other people feel that, too.”
Follow Ford’s Instagram profile for more.
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