Michael Hintlian spent extensive days working beside the construction workers of the Central Artery/ Tunnel Project. Unofficial and without permission, he continued to return and photograph until the construction was over. Thus his project came to an end. His dedication and love for handmade work served as the inspiration for his own work.

Hintlian’s series, The Big Dig, will be on display in the Griffin’s satellite gallery, The Griffn@ SoWa at 530 Harrison from October 4th through December 4th, 2016.

“From the get-go, the idea of this work had little to do with the landmark phases of the construction though some of the ribbon-cutting ceremonies provided interesting picture opportunities,” said Hintlian. He goes on to say, “Instead, it was about how these amazing assets were created, which was mostly by hand. This act of becoming, where men and women created and built with their hands, was how I saw the Big Dig.”

Michael Hintlian’s work has appeared in major U.S. dailies and international periodicals, and has been widely exhibited and collected. His photo-documentary Digging: The Workers of Boston’s Big Dig was published in 2004. Hintlian has served on the faculties of The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The New School for Social Research, and Parsons School of Design, New York. Currently he heads the Documentary Photography department at New England School of Photography in Boston.