- This event has passed.
Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences
Date:Monday, February 23, 2015
Time:5:30pm—8:00pm
Location: Fairmount Water Works (link to venue website)640 Water Works Drive Philadelphia, PA 19130
Presented by the Society for Industrial Archaeology, Oliver Evans Chapter
Speaker: Matthew Christopher (Author & Photographer, www.abandonedamerica.us)
Founded by Matthew Christopher in 2006 as a catalogue of the remains of modern ruins, Abandoned America has since developed into one of the foremost websites dealing with the phenomena of abandoned buildings. Originally intended as an examination of the rise and fall of the state hospital system, Abandoned America rapidly grew to encompass derelict factories and industrial sites, schools, churches, power plants, ship and streetcar graveyards, hospitals, prisons, military installations, hotels, resorts, homes, and more. To date, the collection includes hundreds of locations, including the United States Air Force’s 2,600 acre aircraft boneyard and the SS Unites States, an abandoned 990-foot ocean liner.
Christopher’s body of work is a powerful statement about job loss, cultural legacy, urban blight, the artistic/architectural context of iconic buildings, and historic preservation. In light of the collapse of American industry and the subsequent economic meltdown, the relevance of these topics has never been more important to the examination of America’s national identity. Furthermore, the transcendental and sublime elements of Christopher’s imagery, allow viewers to delve beyond topical concerns to deeper themes of mortality, success and failure, bottomless despair and irrepressible hope that ruins have traditionally served as a metaphor for.
His new book, “Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences” (JonGlez Publishing), is available through major booksellers. His photography has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the L.A. Times, BBC, ABC News, NPR, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, to name just a few. He has lectured on the art of ruins, abandoned spaces, preservation, and mental health history for the Pennsylvania State Museum, Preservation Pennsylvania, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and many others, and his work has been displayed in galleries across the US. His website, Abandoned America, has gained international attention and is considered one of the leading collections of images of abandoned spaces.
Presented in galleries across the United States, preservation conferences, and educational institutions, the Abandoned America collection demonstrates that photographers can act as powerful vehicles for social change, education, and advocacy. Christopher’s images and essays continue to inspire viewers to contemplate who we once were as a people, who we are, and who we will become.
Books will be for sale at the program and Matthew will gladly sign your copy.
Registration required at ffaphila@hotmail.com or by phone at 610-566-2342
Founded by Matthew Christopher in 2006 as a catalogue of the remains of modern ruins, Abandoned America has since developed into one of the foremost websites dealing with the phenomena of abandoned buildings. Originally intended as an examination of the rise and fall of the state hospital system, Abandoned America rapidly grew to encompass derelict factories and industrial sites, schools, churches, power plants, ship and streetcar graveyards, hospitals, prisons, military installations, hotels, resorts, homes, and more. To date, the collection includes hundreds of locations, including the United States Air Force’s 2,600 acre aircraft boneyard and the SS Unites States, an abandoned 990-foot ocean liner.
Christopher’s body of work is a powerful statement about job loss, cultural legacy, urban blight, the artistic/architectural context of iconic buildings, and historic preservation. In light of the collapse of American industry and the subsequent economic meltdown, the relevance of these topics has never been more important to the examination of America’s national identity. Furthermore, the transcendental and sublime elements of Christopher’s imagery, allow viewers to delve beyond topical concerns to deeper themes of mortality, success and failure, bottomless despair and irrepressible hope that ruins have traditionally served as a metaphor for.
His new book, “Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences” (JonGlez Publishing), is available through major booksellers. His photography has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the L.A. Times, BBC, ABC News, NPR, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, to name just a few. He has lectured on the art of ruins, abandoned spaces, preservation, and mental health history for the Pennsylvania State Museum, Preservation Pennsylvania, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and many others, and his work has been displayed in galleries across the US. His website, Abandoned America, has gained international attention and is considered one of the leading collections of images of abandoned spaces.
Presented in galleries across the United States, preservation conferences, and educational institutions, the Abandoned America collection demonstrates that photographers can act as powerful vehicles for social change, education, and advocacy. Christopher’s images and essays continue to inspire viewers to contemplate who we once were as a people, who we are, and who we will become.
Books will be for sale at the program and Matthew will gladly sign your copy.
Registration required at ffaphila@hotmail.com or by phone at 610-566-2342
Test Modal Content