Abandoned America

Matthew Christopher has had an interest in abandoned sites since he was a child, but started documenting them a decade ago while researching the decline of the state hospital system. While he originally had no formal education in photography, Matthew has recently completed his MFA in Fine Art Photography. He has had gallery shows across the US, been featured on

"Matthew Christopher's photographic record of decay depicts the tragic truth: that something extraordinary has ended and that nothing like it may ever come back. We're now going in the other direction despite a lot of wishful thinking: toward a loss of complexity, a reduction in the scale of activity, a loss of artistry, and probably the end of many comforts, conveniences and amenities we've come to take for granted." James Howard Kunstler, author of The Geography of Nowhere "The places Christopher photographs tell their stories with silence and extraordinary light - the spaces between the life and death of a building. His pictures make me feel like someone told me a secret." Jane Derenowski, Reporter, NBC Nightly News "It's romantic, it's nostalgic, it's wistful, it's provocative. It's about time, nature, mortality, disinvestment." Joann Greco, The Atlantic Cities "Through his photographs, Christopher makes a powerful statement about job loss, urban blight 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." Joseph and Barrie Ann George, The Sentinel