Portrait of a Freight Train is a series of photographs documenting every railcar of a passing freight train, taken from the window of VIA Rail’s the Canadian, Canada’s iconic rail service from Toronto to Vancouver. Waiting for a freight train to pass is a common occurrence when traveling by rail in Canada, as 98% of the railways VIA operates on are privately owned, causing major delays and disruptions to passenger service. Maize documented every passing freight train, using his iPhone 5c, a visual record of the type of cargo and length of train. The individual images, reminiscent of abstract paintings, bring into question our relationship to consumption and transportation of the materials such as lumber, oil, gas and the incalculable number of products shipped by rail.
Maize’s process oriented approach explores language, colour, movement [gravity/time/ space] and the patterns of human systems. The material or performance is a catalyst for larger conversations – the expression a result of connection to space, community and place – taking seriously both the conceptual framework and materials as a starting point, to engage the audience in political, psychological, historical and geographical contexts.