ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— What do you see when you look at a coin laundry? Zacharia Thompson, an artist, portrays coin laundries in a different light, actually very little light.Thompson recently displayed a photographic series titled, “i give the night light reason.” The gallery display featured black-and-white images of Laundromats throughout St. Petersburg, Fla., at/after midnight.The photographs were accompanied by an essay, blown up on wall boards, about Thompson’s experience as a new resident of St. Petersburg.“I initially began this project in use as a narrative for a literary piece I have been writing for over five years now,” Thompson says. “The book involves a city this is rich with all kind of mysterious characters and aloof surroundings. I thought, what better way to portray a city’s heart, visually speaking, then by photographing subject matter that is blindly overlooked daily…the Laundromat. Then, to take it a step further and set a particular mood, photograph a desolate Laundromat into the wee hours of morning…so I did. It’s just that simple.”Thompson works in a variety of mediums including film, photography and literature. He currently works and lives in both Florida and Los Angeles.If you have any questions or comments about the photographs, you can contact Thompson at [email protected].
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].