On December 30, 2018, I went out to explore Continental Motors in Detroit with my brother and Jason (@jejones). Jason guided us through the area and talked to us about the evolution of graffiti from different artists over the years. He told stories from his viewpoints of what used to be and when it got painted over. At the time of this writing, it’s been over 4 years since I’ve been involved with much of what’s been going on in Detroit. Continental Motors looked significantly different to me, and the fact that it snowed the night before made this experience even better. Much of the tags that were prominent remain. This was one of my first explorations when I first moved to the Dearborn area in 2009. See below for comparisons.
As time goes on, more is lost as more personality through tagging is gained. Between 2012-2014 the walkway disappeared entirely.
This is how the day looked to us as we arrived… We were eager to get into the building and onto the open rooftop so we could see the sunlight come up. These chambers were used at one point in the testing of aircraft engines.
Jeremy overlooking GM’s parking lot
We were eager to get into the building and onto the open rooftop so we could see the sunlight come up. These chambers were used at one point in the testing of aircraft engines.
I was very fortunate to arrive during this time with fresh snow on the ground. The lighting was incredible.
View more of this exploration of Continental Motors and more in my Abandoned Factories collection.