Flats

Curatorial Overview

“Because of its marshy location on the Cuyahoga River’s floodplain, the area known as the Flats was an unpopular place to build housing and instead became the center of Cleveland’s industry. Instead of emphasizing large factories and smoking machines, however, Wilcox captured the quiet dignity of the area. The inclusion of a boat and wooden structures is reminiscent of scenes from popular artist retreats such as Provincetown, Massachusetts, elevating a notoriously polluted area of Cleveland to the status of picturesque beauty.”