Eight years after 9/11, the tributes to thousands who died in what was the worst act of terrorism on North American soil have (thankfully) become a little less overblown, a little less cynical/sentimental, and much more thoughtful. At little less of this, in other words, and more things like “Twin Towers Once Stood,” a photographic exhibit running now until Oct. 15 at Manhattan’s SB D Gallery.

What is interesting about the exhibit is that, despite the shadow of mourning implied in the title, it provides viewers the opportunity to try and see the towers with at least some objectivity, apart from the horrific attack that brought them down, not to mention the political posturing and outright criminality that followed.

You can see a little of that in the comments on The New York Times’s “Lens” blog, linked to above: while there are the inevitable expressions of anger and grief, some commenters take the opportunity to say they always thought the Twin Towers were ugly, a sentiment that wasn’t exactly rare in New York City prior to 9/11.