Brokedown Palaces

I have to share with you another artist whose work I discovered at an art fair about two years ago, when Jack and I bought the photograph below. His name is Eric Holubow, and he photographs abandoned buildings, usually on the brink of demolition, during their "transition into ruins" as he discusses here. What a beautiful and accurate way to describe these, the ruins. My studies in Rome, and minor in classics have instilled in me a particular love for the rich history of fallen structures and, um, civilizations.

Capone's Cell. Eric Holubow.

This reminds me of a miniature room and is, in fact, Al Capone's cell. How civilized. I guess each cell had a skylight referred to as the "eye of God", to keep the inmates in line, I suspect.

Boniface Balcony, 2009. St. Boniface Church, Chicago

I love old buildings, and struggle between the decorator and antiquarian - paint the original wood trim or keep it? Refinish the ring-bleached coffee table or keep it? I do not want to overvalue the history of things- if the bones of a room or a piece of furniture have integrity, a coat of white paint or a shiny ebonized finish should not threaten that. Right? Though I do love the musty, dusty old brown wood furniture too.

Beth's Engine Room, 2009. Bethlehem Steel

While the building is left abandoned, I imagine many people were too with the closing of this factory.

Cascading Cabrini, 2011. Chicago

Tire Pile Hanger, 2011. Chanute Air Force Base

Shallow Swim, 2011

But back to Eric. I love these photographs. There is a sadness to them, in the wreckage and the waste and the time gone by. But, there is also a sense of pride, as we can see so clearly that they were just that, the pride of the architects and designers who built them, the parishes and individuals who owned them, the employees who maintained them, and the community they supported, in some way or another, at one time.

Rainbow Lockers, 2008.

CPS Library, 2008. George Westinghouse Library

See that big hole in the ceiling? Eric told me that they just swept up all the books from floor to floor through these holes into their final resting place here.

Eric's work reminds me of a darker Candida Höfer, who photographs large, empty venues such as libraries and theaters.

Teatro Napoli, Candida Höfer

Here are a few of her arresting photographs in various interiors, and you can see more of her work here.

Photo by Simon Upton

This room was designed by Todd Klein; apparently I like his work. That little number front and center is Trinity College Library I, by Ms. Höfer

Photo by William Abranowicz.

Robert Couturier designed this room for Frédéric Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen. Notice how Candida's photograph open up this space.

Okay-

no

sleep

'till

Michigan

Got to get to work.

Xoxo,

Jenny