One of my favorite things in the world is a long summer drive in the country passing by abandoned farmhouses, barns and sheds. I know it's kind of creepy, but I'm so intrigued by what happens to objects and places when humans stop caring for them.That's why I was ecstatic to discover Ruin from Brian Vanden Brink, a massive anthology of photographs of abandoned American homes. Aside from the stark prettiness of the pictures, the book is also a wonderful portrait of early(ish) American architecture from the shotgun houses and manors of the South to Midwest farmhouses and New England cottages. In his introduction, Vanden Brink writes:
"Maybe these buildings fascinate me because they represent all of us; maybe they are symbols of our own impermanent status here on earth - metaphors of our transient lives and inability to stop the passing of time...A couple of weeks before my dad died last year, my brothers and I were helping him out of his bed to go to the bathroom. As he struggled down the hall, he said quietly, "take a good look boys, this is going to be you sooner than you think." He was right. Our lives go by so quickly and we leave behind relics of our time here and of what we thought was important. Deep down I know this earth is not my home. `I'm just passing through,' as the old gospel song says."Below I've included a selection of photos from the book, but I definitely recommend getting your hands on it if you can. It's even more beautiful in person.
