Urban Exploration and Modern Photography

In recent years a new rhetoric in photography has been making headlines around the world. Urban Exploration, also known as Urbex, involves the rediscovery of local and historic abandoned buildings which have been left to the elements. It is becoming one of the fastest growing niche markets in modern photography.

While abandoned buildings and other forgotten historic places are prone to vandalism, the Urbex movement is guided by the principle: Take only pictures, leave only footprints. Its aim is to comment on the world we live in and how society chooses to interact with the foundations of our lives.

The Beginnings of Urbex in the News

You might remember a news story that broke on December 27, 2011 following a mass exodus of people from the neighbourhoods of Cleveland, OH due to a slew of bank foreclosures. Houses that were worth upwards of $75,000 were left standing idle in the wake of the great recession that left one fifth of all houses in the area vacant.

It may have actually been the reporters themselves, with their footage and photographs of the abandoned buildings, who provided the Urbex movement with a platform on the world stage and contributed most towards its present-day status.

Urban Exploration In The Modern Age

While abandoned factories and vacant or disused buildings are the primary focal point of many Urbex photographs, tracks leading into the wilderness and natural formations hidden from human eyes are all points of interest for the urban explorer.

Urbex has inspired countless people from all parts of the globe to seek out and explore their city’s forgotten areas. These images taken of forgotten or abandoned places are receiving much attention online and have gone on to inspire home decor and modern art.

As the Shard was being built in London, many urban explorers climbed the scaffolding to take scenic panoramas of the city below. It is this pursuit of the perfect unique photograph that has contributed to the popularity of the Urbex movement.

From The Streets and into Our Homes

Artists such as Banksy are taking the urban beauty of city life away from the streets and moving them into our homes. The artwork speaks to our fast-paced and busy lifestyles, which is surely part of the allure of such works and a reason why increasingly more people are choosing to display urban art in their homes. As most discerning art lovers will tell you, art that deals with the human condition and through which experience or knowledge is gained are the most highly valued and sought after.

If this article has inspired you to look at your own neighborhood in a new light, click here to upload your exploits in modern photography and allow is to turn them into a transformative work of art for your home or office.