One of the most unusual Detroit-themed photo books available this holiday season is yet another guide to Detroit, but featuring a mythological mascot: Le Nain Rouge.
It’s written and photographed by Dave Krieger, who says he began the project as a reaction to the “ruin porn” of the last decade. Instead of that, Krieger wanted to create an upbeat book about the intact beauties of the city.
“I’m trying to get people to think about Detroit differently,” Krieger says.
That’s where the Nain Rouge concept came in: an anarchic avatar to unite the book, and a persona to adopt for the little Nain notes sprinkled throughout the book, in which the red guy shares his views.
“He is finally revealing himself to offer up his perspective about what is cool about Detroit,” Krieger says. “He gets a little salty about the people who seem to be pompous and arrogant. He’s got a positive mindset. He never takes credit for his contributions but is always blamed as the consummate outsider.”
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