Abandoned, Forgotten and Lost buildings Photography Exhibition

Photographer Ed Brandon is showing his Urban Archaeology photography collection at Original Features in Crouch End from 8th November for seven weeks. 

The collection features an array of abandoned, forgotten, lost buildings which with exceptional photography techniques stir emotions of melancholy, surprise and awe!

The photographer himself, Ed Brandon, will be on the opening day to discuss and answer any questions you have about his work - the chance to gain the artist’s point of view. 

Following the opening the exhibition will be open a further seven weeks where you have the opportunity to purchase Brandon’s exquisite work in the form of limited edition signed prints, cards and posters, perfect for a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift or quirky conversation piece. 

Artist's statement: Ed Brandon has been working as a photographic artist for around 6 years and describes himself as a documentary photographer. Inspiration was struck for Urban Archaeology when he discovered photographs of Cane Hill Asylum built in 1883, “I was amazed by the idea that something that big and that fascinating could be sitting behind a road or trees without anyone knowing they were there” Brandon. However, his lens captures a little more than just the scene in front of the camera. He finds forgotten, overlooked, abandoned and lost places and simply, as he puts it, uses “the buildings and objects that are there, to tell a story about the lives of the people who used to be there”.

He moves nothing around, brings no props or models, and uses only natural light. Confining himself to these parameters lends a poignant honesty to his unique perception of “place” and the many small personal histories hidden within the beautiful buildings Britain and Europe constructed during an often more romantic, less throw-away era.

His vision is expressed through a careful choice of detail and a dedication to recording scenes as accurately as possible. His works have a haunting poignancy which addresses the British people’s professed love of heritage – a love that his photographs often suggest is subject to a highly selective memory.

The lives of the unambiguously absent former builders and occupants are resurrected through the intensive gaze directed at the buildings themselves as well as the functional objects and personal mementos they left behind, hinting at narratives sometimes gradually forgotten, and sometimes abruptly cut short. An abandoned armchair and telephone tells of a comfortable and happy life once lived there, but why was this scene of domestic bliss abandoned? A mournful cartoon figure on a wall next to a tiny chair conjures imagined sounds of a long-absent child, but was their life a happy one – this was an Edwardian mental hospital.

The images have an atmosphere of nostalgia, wistfulness, sadness and occasional humour that raises questions regarding the stories of these absent people, and the world beyond the forgotten buildings their untold stories now rest in.

For more information contact Original Features on 020 8348 5155.