Baltimore-based photographer and editor Rob Brulinski and his creative partner and photographer Alex Wein planned to start a photo studio together at the city’s defunct factory-turned-artist-residence The Copycat, but ended up capturing intimate portraits of the artists there instead.
In an interview with Feature Shoot, he explained that the project came about after they started photographing producer Dan Frome in his recording studio, and became interested in the history of the building and how people were utilizing its space.
According to Brulinski, The Copycat began life as the Crown Cork & Seal Factory in 1897. After a mass exodus of manufacturing companies during the ’70s left the warehouse nearly tenantless, it was bought over in 1983 by a typesetter named Charles Lankford in a bid to save his company from eviction by prospective New York buyers.
Despite his efforts, tenants continued to leave and Lankford divided the fifth level into seven work studios, complete with kitchen and bathroom. In the summer of 1987, artists moved in, effectively making The Copycat 27 years old.
Drawn to the space’s “sense of DIY freedom”, Brulinski photographed each resident in their personal living area, and the result is a diverse collection of images that speaks volumes about the creative community within its walls.
Check out some portraits below and read the rest of the interview here.
[via Feature Shoot, images via Rob Brulinski]