In Bethlehem, Charlie Milgrim manipulates digital photography, linking modern twists to images from a bygone era. Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the decommissioned Bethlehem Steel factory endures as an unexpected public attraction, romanticizing America’s industrial legacy. While visiting the ruins of the plant, the massive scale conjured the same awe Milgrim felt in the presence of the pyramids of Giza. During its long reign, from 1857-2003, Bethlehem facilitated many of the major architectural and industrial efforts of the 19th and 20th centuries. In creating a body of work that incorporates some of Bethlehem’s most epic achievements, the artist is tying the dystopic landscape back to its’ monumental origins, highlighting the memory of its’ forgotten history.
Charlie Milgrim is a multimedia artist from New York City. She moved to the Bay Area in her 20s to attend the California College of the Arts, and later received her MFA from U.C. Berkeley. She has since participated in the Bay Area alternative arts community through exhibition and curation and has been a member of the Mercury 20 gallery for the past 9 years. Charlie’s work examines the ties and lies between history, culture, and survival. She works with a wide range of materials, from photography to tar paper made three dimensional to precariously arranged bowling balls.