Meanwhile…

While working on my project about the elderly, I continued shooting for “Panorama”. The recession is in the U.S. so much more present and worse than in Europe.It is impossible how many stores are abandoned here.

Brian Ulrich

One of my favorite photographers is already for a while Brian Ulrich. I fell in love with his work looking at his “Copia” series. Now he put new stuff on his webpage. Like me in “Panorama” he did also a project about abandoned shops “Dark Stores”. Looking at these extremely beautiful and atmospheric photographs gives me truly inspiration. I think I haven’t looked at something I like so much for a while.

See more of his pictures at http://www.notifbutwhen.com

Panorama

Pan·o·ram·a  (pn-rm, -räm)

n.

1. An unbroken view of an entire surrounding area.
2. A comprehensive presentation; a survey.
3. A picture or series of pictures representing a continuous scene, often exhibited a part at a time by being unrolled and passed before the spectator.
4. A mental vision of a series of events.

I decided at the end to display my pictures of abandoned premises in a folded booklet. The pictures can be seen as diptychs or all together as a panoramic view. I feel that the display of the photographs as a panorama, which is defined as an unbroken view of an entire surrounding area, undermines the fact, that empty shops are a continuous scene found along the streets of London. It also alludes to the meaning of a panoramic view as a magnificent view.

Some More?

I am not sure, if I also should include spaces, which are captured from the outside. I like these shots very much, but somehow they seem different.

Shoe Store, Elephant and Castle, London 2009

Woolworth, Tower Hamlets, London 2009

I made it!

Wow, I finally have a blog!  Below are some of my pictures from my Easter project, in which I document the recession.

Woolworth, Elephant and Castle, London 2009

Pharmacy, Elephant and Castle, London 2009

Cafe, Kilburn, London 2009

Pizzeria, Hackney, London 2009

Real Estate Agent, Leyton, London 2009

Shop, London 2009

Insurance Office, Hackney, London 2009

I feel that these empty spaces embody the disaster our society is experiencing at the moment. Of particular interest were for me abandoned premises, in which one finds traces of the occupier before. Some of the premises seem as if they just have closed down or were left in a hurry. Vestiges as furniture, left products or decoration allow the viewer to reflect on the previous use of the displayed space and on the daily routines, which might have taken place. Signs and slogans remind of good times but also indicate some (last) attempts to advertise service or products (“Buy one get one free”, “Your No. 1 Local Agent”). However, the future of these premises (and therefore also of the people) remains not clear. They seem to be in a state in between, laying there and waiting, that something happens and revives them.

Instead of focusing on individual fates I rather document in an unemotional and almost fact stating way. My style is inspired by deadpan photography in which the photographer attempts to be more descriptive than subjective. In order to present all premises also as naturalistic as possible they are systematically taken from a straight vantage point. Instead of capturing specific objects and details (close-ups) the whole space is shown. Through a certain distance it is intended to make the viewer not part of the scene and to allow him/her to stay as detached and critical as possible. Without being sentimental he/she is encouraged to reflect on the recession and the fates, which are inevitable attached to these empty spaces.