Sandy Hook
Professors
Erieta Attali
Semester
Fall 2nd Year
Site
Sandy Hook, New Jersey
My photographs focus on abandoned military relics and their corresponding landscapes. I find it fascinating how these once vital hubs built for war have fallen into dereliction once their purpose was fulfilled. I imagine the people who once inhabited these spaces, waiting in fear for the arrival of war and destruction. By capturing these decaying sites through my lens, I aim to document their lost purpose and the stories of those who once inhabited them. These old military bases have become untouched relics of the past, succumbing to the elements and rendered uninhabitable, but still preserving the memories of the forgotten people who lived and worked there. The decaying structures reflect the forgotten stories of their former occupants. My photo album showcases the reality of a war that never happened on American soil, depicting the transformation of these sites from their initial purpose to their decay, abandonment, and eventual re-purpose. I strive to illustrate how these sites have been adapted to modern society while retaining their initial aesthetic, conveying their former purpose of war. The structures have now become one with the landscape, blurring the line between structure and nature. As they decay and crumble into the sea they once aimed to protect, they evoke a sense of strength and power, while also succumbing to the elements around them. Although some of these sites have been repurposed, the looming reality of war never fades away. Through my photographs, I aim to create a narrative of the past, present, and future of these relics. By capturing their contrasting shadows and the emotions of expanse and claustrophobia, I aim to convey the range of conditions these abandoned military structures exude. The dark shadows cast by the landscape create a sense of foreboding, as if nature itself is taking over these relics of a forgotten time.