Rebecca Skinner [2010, Photography]
I have spent the past several years photographing abandoned structures. Abandoned locations can be found in any demographic, but are most prevalent in areas that were once thriving. Whether people left due to closing factories, loss of tourism, home foreclosure, or natural disaster, the sense of struggle and loss is clear. I photograph throughout the United States. I belong to a group of like minded photographers that I travel with and am inspired by. Each location has a story to tell. I hope to immerse the viewer in the scene, intertwining the viewer and the location into a single narrative of nostalgia and respect for the suspended moment. I portray these facilities not only as a preserved instance of a forgotten time, but as the summation of the place’s history and beauty. The locations I photograph are often dangerous, whether it be rotten floors or asbestos (requiring a respirator). I never go to these places alone, and feel strongly about leaving a location as I found it. I do not stage my photographs — there is a story to be told and I do not want to affect it. I used natural light and a tripod for the images in this project. I am a core artist member at the Fountain Street Gallery in Boston, MA.