Oddball Update

As some of you may know, I have a deep fascination with abandoned hospitals, particularly mental institutions. Recently, the cause of that fascination has started becoming clearer to me. I believe we all feel some strange compulsion to experience the things that frighten us most, but beyond that, there’s something strangely artistic — and poetic — about a place that has fallen to ruin, occupied only by ghostly memories of those who once dwelled there. What draws me to these places is the allure of feeling like the last person left alive, as if you went forward in time and then looked back upon the place where you were standing just moments ago, only to see it withered by centuries of neglect and decay.

In particular, the spectre of a place like a hospital, that once served as a place where the ill and infirm were cared for, is even more gripping when viewed after many years of disuse. What fascinates me the most about these places is how little was taken from them when they stopped serving their function. Be it not for the various graffiti artists and scavengers who take their toll on these once great structures, you could walk into an abandoned hospital and see almost everything exactly as it was on the day it stopped operating. Menus in the cafeteria, patient records in the filing cabinets, memos on the bulletin boards…it’s as if one day no one showed up for work, and they never returned.

There are numerous websites out there that showcase photography of “urban ruins,” but I recently discovered what has become my favorite: www.opacity.us. These are the most artistic shots of urban decay that I have ever seen, but beyond that, what’s really cool about the site are the comments on every photo. Why? Because every once in a while, the unthinkable happens — someone who once worked, lived, or visited the location in the photo will leave a comment saying, “I know this room. I’ve been in here before.” And to me, that’s just all kinds of freaky.

One of the most haunting parts about photos like this are the strange rooms, objects and situations that make you say, “What the hell was this, and what was it used for?” as fingers of dread crawl up your spine. Through the comments section on Opacity.us, sometimes you’re lucky enough to receive answers to those disturbing questions. Unfortunately, no one was able to offer an explanation for the hospital room whose walls, doors and tiles were all painted black. That just disturbs the ever-loving Christ out of me.

Go check out Opacity — if you’re like me, you may be compelled to stare at the screen for hours on end, and lose all track of time…

Categorized as Photography, Randomness