Through the lens of David Allan Brandt, time stands still. In his evocative Butte Montana Series, Brandt transforms the weathered charm of a once-prosperous mining town into a poetic reflection on America’s past and present. Infused with cinematic light and nostalgic depth, his images merge fine art and storytelling—capturing a frozen moment in the cultural evolution of the American West. This personal project continues Brandt’s exploration of visual narrative, where history, place, and imagination intertwine to create works that invite the viewer to pause and wonder.

By David Allan Brandt

Project Goal

This is a series of images taken in the old town area of Butte, Montana. It was a personal project of mine where I wanted to try and capture the wonderful nostalgic character and distinct architecture of what was once one of the richest cities in the United States due to the gold rush and copper mining back in it’s glory days. Unlike other cities built on this mining boom that progressed into the large metropolises of today, this city seems to have become frozen in time once the boom declined.

I love the rich history of the city and all the amazing locations it has within it from days gone by, which haven’t been demolished or transformed in the way of progress like so many other places have been in this country. Using this as inspiration, I tried to express the uniquely Americana feel this city still has as it stands today, like having the oldest Chinese restaurant in America as one example—this is a window into our collective past.

I used a particular model and put her in various scenarios in the many unique locations of the historic area of the city and tried to give a retro quality while also making the images have a contemporary feel to them.

I wanted to use the interesting locations here to create imagery of talent incorporated within it as a continuation of my ongoing personal fine art project of traveling to distinctive locations in the western United States that inspire me and using them to create whimsical and thought-provoking imagery that makes the viewer wonder, “what’s going on here?”

I love traveling to out-of-the-way places, and I’m basically creating imagery for myself and what inspires me, hoping that they will resonate with people. The purpose of the project is for fine art sales and exhibitions, as well as for promotion for my advertising work.

About David Allan Brandt

David Allan Brandt has created a vast body of work, which includes a surreal series of romantic worldscapes combining people with urban structures and whimsical dreamlike environments. These elegant color and black & white creations, along with his fashion work, environmental and studio portraiture, make up a series of beautifully designed images that show his artistic versatility.

Los Angeles serves as his home base for international travels, producing advertising campaigns for a vast variety of top global brands as well as personal and fine art projects. His commercial work, along with his personal projects that range from the conventional to the abstract, is always a search for using the ordinary to create the extra-ordinary expression of life and art. His images have won him numerous awards, as well as having his work featured in books, publications, and exhibitions around the world.

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