Jessica Rodrigue 2003, Photography
As a child, every Sunday in the summers we would drive to Wells, Maine to visit my grandparents at their small motel that they owned. As one of their grandchildren I had free rein of the place, the swimming pool, and the back office, even climbing up on the roof was not out of the question. I always found the structure, colors, and signs to be odd, all aesthetic decisions made by my grandparents. I never had any memories of being at their motel during the winter, as every year after Labor Day they would close the entire place up and leave Maine for the winter. My photo documentation of similar motels throughout Southern Maine during the winter months has given light to, not only how peculiar each individual motel is, but also how the winter weather adds another layer of oddity to these places. Each individual motel seemed to have its own unique colors, bizarre structures, and peculiar signage to distinguish itself. By making images of these motels with a large format camera, I have documented the small details that distinguish the privately owned motels from large chain hotels. My choice of photographing in color shows the range of colors that these motels come in, as well as how noticeable they can be even from a distance.