The images at the top of this page have never been published/never been seen until now -October, 14, 2016. I found them relatively uninteresting because the INSIDES of things are always more complex -more steeped in metaphor. However, since the buildings no longer exist, these images now show something that can not be seen in person. This gives them a different kind of importance. To see the original body of work, scroll down to the little options windows.
Hey all, I am actively working on this body of images and stories. There's a lot to go through, and it will take some time to get everything in order, so please do check back in January, 2017!! If you have questions, or would like to tell me your own personal story about Dammasch, please contact me at smith@smitheliot.com
From Fall of 2004 to Spring of 2006 I shot the interior of Dammasch State Hospital. Dammasch was a psychiatric institution, sister to the infamous Oregon State Hospital where One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest was filmed, and where Mary Ellen Mark shot her series, Ward 81. In this period of time I spoke extensively with the building manager, Rick Courtney and with a number of former residents and workers. The stories I present here are as they were told to me by others.
