abandoned places.

While researching the use of abandoned places in Art, I've come across the 'Underbelly Project'.
In 2009 an abandoned subway chamber was opened so 103 artists could paint, getting one night each. it was to take away the commercialism that a lot of street art had become.  I thought this whole idea was amazing. Afterwards the chamber was sealed up, it could be discovered by later generations or just left to decay (which I think in itself would be pretty great).

I've also found the work of Michael Eastman, a photographer who travelled across America for documenting the many 'ghost towns' or places that once boomed with trade, and now stand, left to rust.

His photos show the textures, colours and the general feel of these places which are slowly disappearing. Go to http://weburbanist.com/category/abandonments for these articles and other abandoned areas all over the world.
http://weburbanist.com/2010/11/24/under-the-city-street-art-peels-back-urban-layers/  - also for A-mazing camouflage street Art.

Beginnings of my project

The idea for the project I am currently undertaking came from a variety of areas:

• The Conservatory at the Barbican
• Books such as 'Oryx and Crake' and 'The year of the flood' by Margaret Atwood
• Films such as '2012', '28 Weeks later' and 'The Road'.
• Finally, documentaries such as 'Life after people'.

All of these involved elements of man being wiped out and therefore nature being left to take over. I think this idea is so interesting and vast I could actually investigate it forever but I am currently looking at evidence of nature overtaking man-made objects now- which is all around in the form of ivy, climbing plants/ trees etc and natural disasters.
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/26415200@N08/sets/72157604922404379/ This link is to 'Earth's future' with drawings which include an impression of the world written about in 'Oryx and Crake' and 'The Year of the Flood'.
 Nature is so powerful, while investigating this idea I have noticed that really there is no competition between man and nature, it is as though we are just temporary- until nature can take back the planet.  

Will upload photos soon of the studies so far!