I found this photo set particularly moving. I love photography of desolate buildings and abandoned lots.
There's a slightly disturbing quality, an eeriness that manifests itself in an empty space that was once
occupied. For some reason, the older the building, the more intriguing it is. I guess it's because the people
who either lived in, worked at, or visited those locations somehow left parts of themselves there -
whether it's the wear seen on the floors, a coffee stain on a side table, or fingerprint marks that build up
around a doorknob. It's strange, but you almost feel like life should still preside there simply because
there are remnants of it. There's always a sadness that seems to linger. However, the Bloom
remembrance project by Anna Schuleit brings beauty to a place that most people don't think about or
want to think about. Anna strategically placed 28,000 potted flowers and 5,600 square feet of sod in
various rooms of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. The center was built almost a century ago as
the Boston Psychopathic Hospital. After it's purchase in 2009, the institution was marked for demolition,
and Bloom served as a means to bring awareness, reflection, and closure. The photos still evoke a sense
of melancholy, but it kind of reminds me of those moments when you're grieving but something or
someone manages to make you smile even though tears are streaming down your cheeks.
Image Source + Interview: This is Colossal
Artist: Anna Schuleit
Installation: Bloom
No comments:
Post a Comment