Friday, May 19, 2006

Dis/order

In many respects this is the perfect set up or establishing shot for Whitby Mental Health. This is an abandoned facility which was built in 1916 and closed in 1993. The doors were forced in 2001 and between that time and 2005 when it was demolished, it was ground zero to local bored kids to graffitti in, movie crews to shoot in and various artists to 'art' in.

The grounds had 39 bulidings which were linked by underground passageways. Most of the windows and walls were damaged by the time I came to shoot there and I incorporated that element into my work.

We had a friend of the family who spent some time here about 6 months before it closed in 1993, my brother went to visit him and he remarked how dreary, oppressive and down right nasty it looked when it was open. Not much had changed since it closed.