'36 Views From The BU Bridge'

For some Bostonians, the nightmare of the Boston University Bridge construction is still fresh.

Some cab drivers still insist on avoiding Memorial Drive, taking Storrow instead, haunted by memories of the hour-long backup that on some mornings would pop up out of nowhere.

Roadblocks, closed lanes, detours, car horns and jackhammers continued for months and months.

But for Madeline Drexler, the bridge under construction was a dream. As a photographer, crossing the river from Cambridge every day on her way to work, she decided to commit a year of her life to its documentation.

"Even though this was an obstacle course, there was a lot that was of visual interest," Drexler said. "The reflective fencing, the green netting, these giant lights at night, the asphalt fumes, the corrugated sheds, these stained jersey barriers. All of them were very, very beautiful if you actually took time to look at them."

Drexler definitely took time. The result is a show that opens Thursday at Gallery 263 in Cambridge called "Only The Seen: 36 Views From The BU Bridge."

The show, Drexler says, is inspired by "36 Views of Mount Fuji," a classic 19th-century Japanese woodblock series in which the mountain is depicted in all seasons and weather conditions from various locations.

We met up with Drexler recently to take a look at the BU Bridge through her lens.