I couldn’t think of anything to post, but I then I got to thinking about the genre of movies we have been doing and there it hit me! So I literally googled “urban decay” to see what I would get, and BAM…this pops up:
http://photocritic.org/urban-decay-photography/
Apparently, this idea of urban decay has not only influenced film, but art as well. The website has 25 of the best urban decay photographs. It was interesting to see how one could find beauty in even the worst situations.
I find it amazing actually! the photographs look beautifully taken, and really allow for the audience to see a difference perspective. The photographs are both enlightening because they show how some parts of not only the country, but neighborhoods both past and present, out of state or around the corner can change over time, as well as entertaining and enjoyable to look at. It’s a modern day twist on the phrase, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” The things is, in relation to these films, I feel like these photographs could have been settings for each story. Take a look:
Couldn’t you picture this in “Se7en” as a setting for one of the deadly sins scenes? Or these:
This photograph (left) screams “The Warriors.” Those two lights at the end look like trains in a tunnel, like when Swan and Marcy were running away from the cops underground.
I don’t even know exactly what this on the right is, but in some way I feel like its color and lighting have this resounding affect similar to the “After Hours” was filmed.
The thing is that these photographs also relate to other genres we touched on this semester.
When I first saw these pictures (bottom) I thought I was having deja vu or something. They reminded me so much of the nuclear anxiety films we saw not too long ago. We definitely saw similar scenes in movies like “The Day After”.”
Take a look at the website…which is your favorite? Why? Could you see it in any of the movies we discussed this semester?
P.S. do you like the urban decay that is my post? 😉
Citation: all photographs were taken from the link posted above.
Generally when I think of urban decay, I think of gangs, violence and the degradation of societal structures. I’ve always seen the above images, of a decaying infrastructure, as a side-effect. My favorite image is of the broken computer…though I’m probably biased towards anything tech-related.
On another note, these abandoned environments reminded me a lot of scenes from Chernobyl. While the city never suffered from societal decay, it looks just as devastated. Below is a link to images taken 20 years after the Chernobyl disaster. I feel they have a similar artistic and creepy feeling.
http://villageofjoy.com/chernobyl-today-a-creepy-story-told-in-pictures/
I agree with your first point, Jahn, I think these pictures characterize degraded infrastructure more than anything.
When I think of urban decay, I think of something less extreme than what the pictures have shown here– some of these, like the fighter jet, look more post-apocalyptic in nature than anything. Urban decay is tied in with the people who contribute to it– hoodlums, homeless people, gang-members, etc.– these pictures seem to depict uninhabited places, like the set of Chernobyl pictures Jahn posted.
If there was an image that characterized urban decay the most for me– it would have to be the subway scene from Death Wish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of-57Ivfwz8
The grimy subway with the periodic blackouts, the greasy-looking thugs roaming it, the act of mugging Charles Bronson– that’s a real picture of urban decay, to me. Of course, that definition probably only applies to me, because I really strongly identify NYC’s subway system in the 70s/80s as a real exemplar of urban decay.
Stefan, your pictures signify the end of the road of urban decay to me. The word “decay” implies something ongoing, and those pictures– are the end product of that ongoing process.
If I haven’t made it overbearingly clear– this post is all opinion– I don’t mean to stir the pot too much or offend anyone! I’m also not too familiar with the readings for this unit as I should be, so some of my points might be refuted outright by the reading, or retreads of points the author puts more eloquently.
Great post! These pictures certainly reflect urban dread and decay. There isn’t much light in the pictures and it gives off a dark, cynical, and mysterious effect. Everything is falling apart and it strikes a somewhat sad tone in me. My favorite picture is the one with the computer as well. I think I like it because even though the computer represents progress and advancement, everything in the picture is in shambles. Quite a contrast.
Wow, this was a great thing to post and a great visual on the idea of urban decay. I love, love, love photography and one of the main reasons I do is for its ability to portray emotion, fear, sadness, destruction, etc., through powerful visuals and composition of the elements in the photos, as the above do. I just enjoyed this so much because journalistic photos really speak to me.
I love art too, so its nice to see it incorporated into our class. I actually went on the website to pick my favorite. I really liked number 2 shot of the Bronx from its Urban Decay period of the 70’s and 80’s. It was just like the footage of the Bronx we saw in class. I particularly liked it because the building had writing that said “broken promises” and “Promesas falsas” in Spanish. The writing portrayed the political message behind the photo. It included the voice of the people that lived in the neighborhood, their emotions.
I saw a similar message in pic # 7. The stairs are leading up to a house that is completely empty and destroyed. There is a flicker of light at the top, but there doesn’t seem to be any life behind the rusty door.
As for Chernobyl, today happens to be 24 years since the incident. It is one of the saddest dates in Ukrainian history, but recent pictures of the area do not remind me of Urban decay. Ever since human life ended in the region for the most part, wildlife took over. Since then the forestry has spread so much that Chernobyl is considered one of, if not the biggest untouched natural reserves on our planet. Today, it is very hard to find a place with no significant effect of the human footprint. (Radiation is the only thing that can keep us away from destroying our wildlife!) This is more like how Chernobyl looks outside today. very lonely, but not as dark and grim.
http://funny.funnyoldplanet.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/a9e70_Chernobyl-Today-A-Creepy-Story-told-in-Pictures-buildings1.jpg
Also, as humans moved out, many animals, some of which were long gone in Ukraine, have returned! They seem to be more capable of adapting to the radiation in the region. Regardless, as the following article states, any harm done to them by the radiation is far less than the harm caused by humans. Here it is:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4923342.stm
This is awesome!
I agree with Maria and everyone else, these are some really nice photos of urban decay. It’s amazing how decay can look so beautiful on camera. I think that these still images capture a different view then movies can, because we can look at all the finer details extensively, and take it all in without interruption.
Also these images seem to blend in well with some other scary movies we’ve watched. I really like the 4th picture on the blog, mostly because of the sunset/sunrise in the back, and the eerie neon trailer on the right. It reminds me of Night of the Living Dead in a strange way. A close second is the black and white one photo of the plane on the brink of a rotten ledge. It made me think of the Cold War/Nuclear Threat movies and images of spartan military sights come to mind.