Matt Van der Velde, a photographer who's based in Ottawa, Ontario, was inclined to lens a series that surrounded abandoned asylums when he had to deal with his own PTSD and depression after he served as an infantry soldier for the Canadian forces.
Prompted to learn more about how mental health has been dealt with throughout history, he took to abandoned asylums around the USA and researched the past of each. What resulted was a telling book, aptly titled 'Abandoned Asylums.' While haunting, the images are stunning to view, with Matt Van der Velde capturing the scenes in expressionistic lights and angling the lens to focus on specific happenings of the past.
Some of the abandoned asylums included in the project have ties to Marilyn Monroe and disturbingly, Charles Manson -- making the imagery and the stories included that much more interesting.
Abandoned Asylum Photography
Matt Van der Velde's Project Exposes the USA's Eerie Institutions
Trend Themes
1. Abandoned Asylum Tourism - As more people become interested in exploring abandoned asylums for their historical and cultural significance, there is an opportunity to create unique tourism experiences and attractions around these sites.
2. Mental Health History Awareness - Projects like Abandoned Asylums can raise awareness about the history of mental health treatment and the need for continued progress and advocacy in the field.
3. Creative Photography Techniques - The use of expressionistic lighting and unique angles in capturing historical sites can inspire new approaches to photographing architecture and urban decay.
Industry Implications
1. Tourism - Abandoned asylums can create unique tourism experiences for those interested in history and culture with proper restoration of the sites.
2. Mental Health Advocacy - Abandoned asylums can provide a visual representation of the history of mental health and the need for modern advocacy and support for individuals with mental health concerns.
3. Photography - Creative techniques used in abandoned asylum photography can inspire new approaches to photographing architecture and urban decay.