Matthew Christopher’s body of work is a powerful statement about job loss, cultural legacy, urban blight, the artistic/ architectural context of iconic buildings, and historic preservation. In light of the collapse of American industry and the subsequent economic meltdown, the relevance of these topics has never been more important to the examination of America’s national identity. Furthermore, the transcendental and sublime elements of Christopher’s imagery, allow viewers to delve beyond topical concerns to deeper themes of mortality, success and failure, bottomless despair and irrepressible hope that ruins have traditionally served as a metaphor for.
Matthew Christopher’s journey to document abandoned sites began a decade ago while researching the decline of the state hospital system. Realizing that words alone could not adequately convey the harsh realities of institutional care, Christopher embarked on a journey to visit and photograph the crumbling state schools and asylums in our midst. Ten years later, Christopher’s focus had broadened to include the ruins of American infrastructure, industry, churches, schools, theaters, hospitals, prisons, resorts and hotels as realized in his best-selling book, Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences (Jonglez Publishing) and his 2016 follow up, Abandoned America: Dismantling the Dream (Carpet Bombing Culture).