Resting Place
Dread
Anxiety
Rebecca Skinner
REBECCA SKINNER
Franklin, MASSACHUSETTS, USA
My subject matter ranges from large, cavernous spaces to minute details such as peeling paint and rust. Texture, color and light play an important part in my image making and I am attracted to the beauty of these places as well as the history.
Time is of the essence as some locations have since been demolished or restored, while others remain frozen in time. Danger is often present, whether it be from rotten floors, hazardous materials, or unexpected inhabitants. I never go into these places alone and I am strongly invested in leaving no trace. Working with tripod and natural light, I do not stage my photographs — there is already a story to be told without making any adjustments.
Rebecca Skinner photographs abandoned spaces throughout the United States. She is a modern-day urban explorer seeking unique neglected structures and desolate places. Her subject matter ranges from large, cavernous spaces to minute details such as peeling paint and rust. Her locations are often dangerous to photograph in, whether because of rotten floors, falling plaster or asbestos (requiring a respirator), so she never goes alone. Skinner brings to her work a strong ethic of leaving a location exactly as found. She does not stage her photographs—there is a story there to be told and she does not alter it. She uses natural light and a tripod for the images. Texture, color and light all play important parts in her image making.
Skinner is a core artist member of Fountain Street Gallery in Boston and a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design. Artscope and Upworthy are among the publications that have featured her work.