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There's something about a ruin that speaks to us all, I think you'll agree, and not just ancient ruins - the charm of the dilapidated buildings of Venice needs no explanation to readers of this site, I hope. So here's a page devoted the joy of decay, mostly in London, but beginning with a book about the whole damn phenomenon. |
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Christopher Woodward In Ruins A book dealing with the artist's, and the rest of our, joy in ruins, from lost ancient civilizations to the film The Planet of the Apes. This is the ruinophile's bible - we know we find them moving, this books goes some way to explaining why. There's the intimations of death and the warnings against hubris, of course, but there's a whole lot more besides. The painting to the left is Joseph Handy's amazing view of the Bank of England in imaginary ruins. It features on the endpapers of this book and comes courtesy of the very wonderful Sir John Soane Museum. |
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William Eckersley & Alexander Shields Left London This is a book of photographs taken in abandoned buildings in London by Eckersley and Shields and published by them. Factories, tunnels, swimming baths and hospitals, amongst other sites, all get wandered around and photographed by the pair. The photos are mostly not, to be honest, overly arty or atmospheric. The style leans towards straight reportage, but there is often art in simplicity. It's good to see inside the Holborn Tram Tunnel (see right) but a shame it looks like a big hospital corridor. They don't shy away from evidence of illicit occupation either - there's lots of crap and graffiti in this book. I would've thought that making graffiti in a building where no-one goes defeats the object, but the results are sometimes effective. An essential book for lovers of London decay, and a good website at www.leftlondon.co.uk where you can order the book.
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A fine web-site devoted to European
urban exploration is abandoned-places.com.
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