Lost Land
There is something within us that intrigues and thrills us about seeing a derelict place. This exhibition invites you to see a display of work which shows the forgotten parts of our world which have been left and untouched. Much of the pieces are based in the busy capital of London which is a frightening contrast to the lonely repressed places hidden within it. These chilling, mysterious and alluring images will urge you to see the neglected side of the city that many people do not often see.
Room One
This exhibition starts off with the work of two well renowned photographers who were some of the first photographers of their time, firstly we have Eugene Atget who is a French photographer whose work focuses on street and documentary photography, following on from that we have Berenice Abbott whose work varies from black and white architecture photography to urban landscapes.
Image one - This first image is of buildings near an alley way that were in the process of being demolished. Atget had visited the site several years before he took this photo in 1923, he wanted to capture any change that had taken place to the site and small details of it which may have otherwise been overlooked. He also wanted to re-visit the site as he had an interest in visiting places which were being demolished, this site was being knocked down in order to make way for subway system being build, which is now known as the Paris Metro. Atget wanted to capture this deconstruction to show the loss of these old, historic buildings in place of a new modernizing world. Atget saw these demolishing parts of Paris as a loss of culture and beauty rather than an advance in developing the city. His use of vignetting the image was done to have a more focal point on the destruction being caused to the city and to exaggerate the upward sloping ground to highlight the changing city.
Image two - This image of intimate courtyards in the heart of Paris, which despite being irregularly shaped were seen as an aesthetic, unique part of Paris for Atget. He photographed the area several times between the years of 1898 and 1923, Atget tried photographing the courtyards from different levitation's to try and show the irregularity and interesting architecture from different perspectives. The buildings themselves were not in too good a state and showed the downhill and decaying side to Paris which wasn't kept up with the modernizing times, however Atget wanted to capture the beauty and uniqueness of these types of places which he did so by showing small details, such as the different slanting roof heights and rusting paintwork which show an individualism and differentiation within the city.
Image three - This image of rundown apartments in the centre of Paris, his aim was to capture an empty, desolate Paris in comparison to the usual business the city offered. He wanted to create an eerie feel to his images by having the contrast of the busy city with the empty suburbs, it adds a question of hesitation of where are the people? The techniques of lighting Atget has used of contrast with black and white in the image prove effective as the intense black on the left hand side and the blackouts of the windows and doors sharpen the idea of eerie, harrowing theme that Atget wanted to portray. It creates a feeling of the place perhaps being haunted and empty despite it being apartments which were still in use, his deliberate use of not having people in the frame support this idea of neglect and desolation.
Image two - This image of intimate courtyards in the heart of Paris, which despite being irregularly shaped were seen as an aesthetic, unique part of Paris for Atget. He photographed the area several times between the years of 1898 and 1923, Atget tried photographing the courtyards from different levitation's to try and show the irregularity and interesting architecture from different perspectives. The buildings themselves were not in too good a state and showed the downhill and decaying side to Paris which wasn't kept up with the modernizing times, however Atget wanted to capture the beauty and uniqueness of these types of places which he did so by showing small details, such as the different slanting roof heights and rusting paintwork which show an individualism and differentiation within the city.
Image three - This image of rundown apartments in the centre of Paris, his aim was to capture an empty, desolate Paris in comparison to the usual business the city offered. He wanted to create an eerie feel to his images by having the contrast of the busy city with the empty suburbs, it adds a question of hesitation of where are the people? The techniques of lighting Atget has used of contrast with black and white in the image prove effective as the intense black on the left hand side and the blackouts of the windows and doors sharpen the idea of eerie, harrowing theme that Atget wanted to portray. It creates a feeling of the place perhaps being haunted and empty despite it being apartments which were still in use, his deliberate use of not having people in the frame support this idea of neglect and desolation.
Berenice Abbott was an american photographer whose work focused on black and white photography of the changing New York architecture and urban designs of 1930s. She started her career as Man Ray's dark room assistant, working for him soon lead her to develop her own interest and passion for photography which she soon found she had a natural talent for. She branched out to work independently and soon was becoming more successful than Man Ray himself. Abbott took inspiration and interest from Eugene Atget's work and after his death helped to get much of work known and published. She took inspiration from the work he did in Paris and despite taking series's of photographs in Paris, she decided to move to New York and focus her work there. Her work in New York took interest in the developing city and the architecture that went along with the changes of a modernizing city.
Image one - The first image is a part of Manhattan in lower east side New York, Abbot captured many photos in this area as it presented an interesting diversity of aesthetic architecture. She aimed to capture not only the structure of the buildings and bridges but also the quiet atmosphere and ambiance of the place which made a contrast to the bustling inner city. The streets show few people or vehicles as it was a more empty part of the city which gives more of a focus to the architecture. She wanted to show how much of New York was still experiencing the effect of the bust from the stock market crash of the late 1920s. This lead to the Great Depression which was a period that Abbott took many of her photographs in, caused by the crash on wall street. Photography during this period was used as an aid to help publicize to the world what was happening during this period. The FSA hired over 80,000 photographers to document the events and effects of the depression across the whole of the USA. Roy Stryker was an important figure in leading this process and used his knowledge of photography to hire the best people for the job. His aim was to create a "visual encyclopedia of American life" and successfully publish them to educate people as well as put policies from the New Deal into place. He wanted to focus on images portraying the struggles people in rural USA experienced as well as those in city.
Image two - The next image presents a horse drawn carriage in the streets of New York, Abbott wanted to show how despite the city having developed in the past 10 years at a rapid rate with inventions such as cars there were still traditional and less evolved parts of city which were of equal value and beauty. She again wanted to portray the empty and quietness of certain streets of New York which were so different to the busy more central places in the city. She also wanted to capture the architecture and that despite many new buildings constantly being developed there were in fact still many beautiful historic buildings which made up the city. The rustic architecture and small details such as the steps on the outside of the building create a real traditional side of the city which at the time was evolving with ever modernizing architecture.
Image three - This photograph focuses on the over whelming architecture, of New York. Abbott wanted to highlight of how the city was constantly evolving with new buildings constantly being built, with the each one being bigger and better than the last. The buildings focused on in this image compare to the more classic, suburban buildings which were no where near as extravagant as ones found in the more central parts of New York. However Abbott chose this spot to photograph as it shows the diversity of architecture with there being the newer, modern skyscrapers harrowing over the smaller more conventional buildings which had been there a lot longer. She wanted to create an effect of having the old and the new amongst each other and that there can be an integration between this new developing world and the old classic one.
Image two - The next image presents a horse drawn carriage in the streets of New York, Abbott wanted to show how despite the city having developed in the past 10 years at a rapid rate with inventions such as cars there were still traditional and less evolved parts of city which were of equal value and beauty. She again wanted to portray the empty and quietness of certain streets of New York which were so different to the busy more central places in the city. She also wanted to capture the architecture and that despite many new buildings constantly being developed there were in fact still many beautiful historic buildings which made up the city. The rustic architecture and small details such as the steps on the outside of the building create a real traditional side of the city which at the time was evolving with ever modernizing architecture.
Image three - This photograph focuses on the over whelming architecture, of New York. Abbott wanted to highlight of how the city was constantly evolving with new buildings constantly being built, with the each one being bigger and better than the last. The buildings focused on in this image compare to the more classic, suburban buildings which were no where near as extravagant as ones found in the more central parts of New York. However Abbott chose this spot to photograph as it shows the diversity of architecture with there being the newer, modern skyscrapers harrowing over the smaller more conventional buildings which had been there a lot longer. She wanted to create an effect of having the old and the new amongst each other and that there can be an integration between this new developing world and the old classic one.
Room Two
The next room presents the work of two contemporary urban exploration photographers who have photographed everything from neglected buildings to lost towns. Both Zach Fein and Nadav Kander use the lens to portray a curiosity to look further into the image and see what these places really are like and the stories that lie behind them.
Zach Fein photographed abandoned places across America. He focused his work on 'abandoned, forgotten and decaying architecture'. Fein has worked on many a different project focusing on derelict places, much of his work was based on looking in detail at a variety of different abandoned places in Detroit. He photographed disused skyscrapers, churches, buildings, meadows and stations. Detroit was the main focus for his project as it is the only city in the USA to have had such a high rate of population decline, causing a mass of urban decay leaving golden opportunities for photography. The city's drop in people was due to failing industries, racial/political/social tension causing there to be half as many people living there compared to the 1950s. One project he worked on was photographing a variety of places such as The Cincinnati Subway. His work portrays a fascination to the viewer as it shows a contemporary twist on neglected places across America. Across all of Fein's work he wanted to show the beauty of architecture and how it inspires new architectural creation, he wanted to portray how abandoned places can help future buildings to be perfectly made.
Zach Fein photographed abandoned places across America. He focused his work on 'abandoned, forgotten and decaying architecture'. Fein has worked on many a different project focusing on derelict places, much of his work was based on looking in detail at a variety of different abandoned places in Detroit. He photographed disused skyscrapers, churches, buildings, meadows and stations. Detroit was the main focus for his project as it is the only city in the USA to have had such a high rate of population decline, causing a mass of urban decay leaving golden opportunities for photography. The city's drop in people was due to failing industries, racial/political/social tension causing there to be half as many people living there compared to the 1950s. One project he worked on was photographing a variety of places such as The Cincinnati Subway. His work portrays a fascination to the viewer as it shows a contemporary twist on neglected places across America. Across all of Fein's work he wanted to show the beauty of architecture and how it inspires new architectural creation, he wanted to portray how abandoned places can help future buildings to be perfectly made.
Image one - This image is a particular famous one from his Detroit collection, Fein wanted to portray how parts of Detroit have become ghostly suburbs due to such a steep population decline. He wanted to show how despite it being Michigan states largest city it is in fact not as popular and busy as one would expect, instead there are major chunks of the city left decaying and abandoned. He also wanted to create a sense of shock to the viewer but also a feeling of interest as to why one of America's most well known city's has so many forgotten places. This image and other images in his project relate much more to wider issues in Detroit as to why there is such a high level of abandonment, these are to do with issues such as high rates of unemployment making the city go into decline. Much of this has been caused by Detroit's thriving automobile production being moved out of the city, the city also suffers from soaring crime rates which makes it one of America's most dangerous cities to live in. Fein has perfectly captured this empty suburb showing how it is no longer in use. The way he has captured both sides of the road making them near symmetrical has created an effect of complete isolation and neglect. The use of shooting straight down the road shows how no one drives through the area and that there is absolutely no one there. When looking more closely at the image you can see the houses are boarded up and this supports the point of the shrinking population. The image overall presents an explanation of how there are 10,000 homes in Detroit's suburbs which have been left like this.
Image two - Another example of abandonment in Zach fein's work is this photograph taken of the Harbor Terminal building, this was a warehouse used for the export and import of goods however, with Detroit's decline in industry it led to the warehouse becoming derelict. Fein intended to show how decay had overtaken the building by focusing on the rubbish on the floor and the rotting wallpaper. The image provokes a chilling reaction of how the place has just been left as it was before, the door still being open shows how the place has been left untouched since it was left abandoned. Fein's lighting in the image is effective as there are slight light leaks from decayed parts of the building on the left hand side, which supports Fein's idea of wanting to capture the desolateness of the place. His work on the Harbour Terminal Building is a similar project he did on The Hudephol Brewery, he used the same technique of lighting to create a contemporary twist to the image.
Image three - This photo is of one of the most infamous disregarded subways, it's in Cincinnati Ohio and was built between 1920-1925 but was never completed due to going over budget. Fein wanted an eerie feel to his images of the Cincinnati Subway, the use of lighting show the contrast between the light on the left hand side and the darkness leading to complete blackness on the right. As the subway was also being built during a time of war, Fein wanted to capture a neglected and sad side to the city which is shown by the light highlighting the remains of rubble and ruins on the left side of the image. The tones of colour in the photograph are much the same and present a sense of emptiness and neglect due to the bland colours.
Image two - Another example of abandonment in Zach fein's work is this photograph taken of the Harbor Terminal building, this was a warehouse used for the export and import of goods however, with Detroit's decline in industry it led to the warehouse becoming derelict. Fein intended to show how decay had overtaken the building by focusing on the rubbish on the floor and the rotting wallpaper. The image provokes a chilling reaction of how the place has just been left as it was before, the door still being open shows how the place has been left untouched since it was left abandoned. Fein's lighting in the image is effective as there are slight light leaks from decayed parts of the building on the left hand side, which supports Fein's idea of wanting to capture the desolateness of the place. His work on the Harbour Terminal Building is a similar project he did on The Hudephol Brewery, he used the same technique of lighting to create a contemporary twist to the image.
Image three - This photo is of one of the most infamous disregarded subways, it's in Cincinnati Ohio and was built between 1920-1925 but was never completed due to going over budget. Fein wanted an eerie feel to his images of the Cincinnati Subway, the use of lighting show the contrast between the light on the left hand side and the darkness leading to complete blackness on the right. As the subway was also being built during a time of war, Fein wanted to capture a neglected and sad side to the city which is shown by the light highlighting the remains of rubble and ruins on the left side of the image. The tones of colour in the photograph are much the same and present a sense of emptiness and neglect due to the bland colours.
Room Three
The final room presents a collection of images taken by four contemporary photographers who have taken a unique and modern take on derelict places. There photos range from a variety of places and styles but all link to showing an eerie feel behind the abandoned location.
The first photographer is Daniel Marbaix, whom is an urban explorer and photographer who has photographed anything and everything from abandoned churches, hospitals, schools and hotels. Marbaix captures mesmerizing images of forgotten places before they are no longer there. Some of his projects include famous images of a doctors deserted mansion in Germany which showed how his house was left completely untouched after his death and is now being overtaken by nature and decay. Many other pieces of his work are taken in either Europe or North America with much being photographed in Belgium where he photographed derelict schools, hospitals, a power station and a chateau.
The first photographer is Daniel Marbaix, whom is an urban explorer and photographer who has photographed anything and everything from abandoned churches, hospitals, schools and hotels. Marbaix captures mesmerizing images of forgotten places before they are no longer there. Some of his projects include famous images of a doctors deserted mansion in Germany which showed how his house was left completely untouched after his death and is now being overtaken by nature and decay. Many other pieces of his work are taken in either Europe or North America with much being photographed in Belgium where he photographed derelict schools, hospitals, a power station and a chateau.
Image one - Marbaix took this image in Germany of an abandoned mansion which belonged to a surgeon in the 1960s. The image shows a surgical room in the house which was apparently used for examinations and as a laboratory. Marbaix evokes a strong chill from the image by portraying an eerie feel of how much of the equipment still remains, the small details of the lab coat still hanging up and surgical tools still scattered around create a curiosity of the doctors life. The dim and mundane lighting Marbaix has created makes the image more haunting, this was done to create a more sinister feel, this links to how the doctor and his family died from a sudden car accident leaving everything behind which is rather chilling.
Image two - This image is also from the derelict mansion, it is of the hallway where expensive coats, bags and hats were found hanging up. Also found next to them was a telephone with note cards besides it which had written messages on them, most likely to have needed to of been relayed but never where due to the deaths. Marbaix wanted to portray a sneak look into the family's life and attempt to uncover more about them, by photographing their personal possessions it shows the family to of been rich and well kept. The colours of the items such as the bright red coat and the black and white coat stand out amongst the cooler colours, highlighting the expensiveness of the items and the lifestyle the family must of lived, this adds to a sense of interest towards the family.
Image three - This photograph is of a power station in Belgium. The image intends to show beauty through the chaos of mess left behind such as the sprawl of cables and wires across the floor. The use of having bright light and light colours in the photograph such as the silver and blue give a less eerie feel to the image as there is no darkness. The way in which the lighter colours are present in the image intend to show how decay can be beautiful, there are hints of rust on the machinery but apart as a whole much of the power station was in good condition which Marbaix wanted to capture. The image was taken from a worms eye view creating an effect of a vast mess and destruction, Marbaix wanted to give a full view of the power station putting into perspective the vastness of the machinery.
Image two - This image is also from the derelict mansion, it is of the hallway where expensive coats, bags and hats were found hanging up. Also found next to them was a telephone with note cards besides it which had written messages on them, most likely to have needed to of been relayed but never where due to the deaths. Marbaix wanted to portray a sneak look into the family's life and attempt to uncover more about them, by photographing their personal possessions it shows the family to of been rich and well kept. The colours of the items such as the bright red coat and the black and white coat stand out amongst the cooler colours, highlighting the expensiveness of the items and the lifestyle the family must of lived, this adds to a sense of interest towards the family.
Image three - This photograph is of a power station in Belgium. The image intends to show beauty through the chaos of mess left behind such as the sprawl of cables and wires across the floor. The use of having bright light and light colours in the photograph such as the silver and blue give a less eerie feel to the image as there is no darkness. The way in which the lighter colours are present in the image intend to show how decay can be beautiful, there are hints of rust on the machinery but apart as a whole much of the power station was in good condition which Marbaix wanted to capture. The image was taken from a worms eye view creating an effect of a vast mess and destruction, Marbaix wanted to give a full view of the power station putting into perspective the vastness of the machinery.
The next three photographers Niki Fejien, Brandon P Davis and Matthew Christopher all use similar contemporary styles when photographing abandoned places, they share a common use of allowing light into the image creating a brighter image. Niki Feijen whose numerous projects on architecture and abandoned buildings aim to portray a sense of 'conflicting notions of beauty and decay'. Feijen uses a special HDR technique to capture different exposures creating a wider light spectrum than most other photographs this is because many abandoned places have dark lighting and highlight and obscure part of the image. Brandon P. davis has visited many an abandoned place in the six years he has been practising photographing. Renowned pieces of work include photographing an abandoned library in Detroit, an old ceramics factory in Pennsylvania and a neglected tool manufacture in Ohio. Through his work Davis aims to capture the beauty of how nature can reclaim these desolate places and open peoples eyes to these places which otherwise they would not see. Matthew Christopher has been photographing forgotten places for almost a decade and has had an interest in abandoned places since a child. He started photographing as a result of research he was doing on the decline of the state hospitals system. Not only does Christopher take an interest in capturing these places through a lens but also the history behind it, he has lead lectures on abandoned places and mental state history of Pennsylvania. his well known website 'Abandoned America' is world known and considered to have the best collections of photographs if forgotten places in the US.
Image one - This image is of an abandoned hospital, it presents an eerie feel with the desolate corridors and the single wheelchair on the left hand side. Feijen uses his lighting technique to capture more light into the image and create a contrast with the light from the windows against the darker corridors. The use of brighter lighting helps Feijen achieve his aim of wanting to create a feel of beauty and decay coming together as the more light in the image the less eerie it feels. However Feijen also wanted to create an unease with a darker undertone, the placing of the wheelchair is a reminder that it was once an abandoned hospital which creates a harrowing contrast between life and death.
Image two - Davis took this picture of Woodward Ave Presbyterian church in Detroit, Michigan. The church was built in 1911 but has been sitting derelict for a number of years. The lighting in this image is fairly light and everyday looking, there is no creepy undertone to it being left derelict which is the opposite to what you would expect. Davis wanted to keep lighting like this to create a sense of beauty in the place and have the main focus be in the fascination of what was left rather than having eerie lighting which would create a haunting feel especially due to coronations that churches have to do with life, death and abandonment. Despite the church being left this way for quite some time, Davis wanted to capture the charm of the place, he did this by including in the frame beautiful lights and a peep of the gold balcony which perfectly portrays the beauty of the church.
Image three - Matthew Christopher took this photograph of one of the bedrooms in an abandoned hotel in America, it was believed that despite it being a good quality hotel, poor management and being out dated drove it out of business. Christopher wanted to portray that despite the place having torn wallpaper, smashed glass and crumbling walls the beauty of the interior works as an interesting contrast. He wanted to show how despite there being ruble and ruins in the room there was also allurement in the room, the pastel colours against the mess creates an almost prettiness within the image despite it being a derelict building. Christopher wanted the lighting to be neutral to create a more serene feel rather than it being haunting and scary as he wanted the focus to be what was inside the room rather than the story behind it.
Image two - Davis took this picture of Woodward Ave Presbyterian church in Detroit, Michigan. The church was built in 1911 but has been sitting derelict for a number of years. The lighting in this image is fairly light and everyday looking, there is no creepy undertone to it being left derelict which is the opposite to what you would expect. Davis wanted to keep lighting like this to create a sense of beauty in the place and have the main focus be in the fascination of what was left rather than having eerie lighting which would create a haunting feel especially due to coronations that churches have to do with life, death and abandonment. Despite the church being left this way for quite some time, Davis wanted to capture the charm of the place, he did this by including in the frame beautiful lights and a peep of the gold balcony which perfectly portrays the beauty of the church.
Image three - Matthew Christopher took this photograph of one of the bedrooms in an abandoned hotel in America, it was believed that despite it being a good quality hotel, poor management and being out dated drove it out of business. Christopher wanted to portray that despite the place having torn wallpaper, smashed glass and crumbling walls the beauty of the interior works as an interesting contrast. He wanted to show how despite there being ruble and ruins in the room there was also allurement in the room, the pastel colours against the mess creates an almost prettiness within the image despite it being a derelict building. Christopher wanted the lighting to be neutral to create a more serene feel rather than it being haunting and scary as he wanted the focus to be what was inside the room rather than the story behind it.
Conclusion
From studying all of these photographers I have seen a clear development In the work of urban architecture throughout the years. It is interesting to see the different developments that come off the idea of these themes of photography, such as abandoned buildings, decaying architecture, neglected architecture and desolate places in the centre of a city. I think the idea of photographing an abandoned place can be much more than just directly doing so, it's given me more ideas to develop my work into not just going from one abandoned place to another but refining my focus as to objects being left behind and the actual close up of rot and decay. Many of these images prove to show that there is beauty in capturing an image of emptiness and decay and that you can have your own personal interpretation of what it means to you. There are many similarities between my chosen photographers, I feel room two and three portray the contemporary photos of typically abandoned places, Nadav Kander and Daniel Marbaix both use soft lighting to create an aesthetic image of the mess left in derelict places. Room one is made up of two classic photographers whose work may not be specifically of an abandoned place but Berenice Abbott for example shows the architecture and structure of buildings before they do become disused which I think portrays an interesting contrast to later works of derelict buildings.
Bibliography
- Daily Mail (website)
- Flickr (website)
- Slr Lounge (website)
- Huffingtonpost (website)
- States of Decay: Urbex New York and America's Forgotten North East. (book)
- Niki Feijen (website)
- Disciple of Decay (book)
- Zfein (website)
- We Folk (website)
- Wikipedia (website)
- Abandoned America (website)
- NGA (website)
- Brieencounter wordpress (website)
- Commerce graphics (website)
- History (Website)
- Living history farm (website)
- Flower gallery (website)