abstract blocking

An abandoned mill is the subject of this photograph. I was taken with its abstract and rectilinear composition and it seemed a strong color statement to fit into the thread of today’s conversation.

I love the collision of styles in this image. The abstract blocking of plastic strips hung from the dock ceiling combine with impressionistic and accidental imagery scratched and stained into the sheets of plastic. Like piano keys, they play a visual kind of music. The textures and Rorschach shapes contained on the plastic have a life all their own. I see a courtyard with two windows, alien faces, hands, a illustrative figure on a city street and a cacophony of abstract color and shapes. I have attached a magnified view as well. The compositional form animates well with diagonal linear and lyrical flowing design elements to move the eye around the otherwise formalistic grid structure. Backlighted color pops the complimentary blues and yellows keeping the attention centered in the composition. Discovering and capturing this image at a defunct paper mill was a real pleasure. The more time I spent with it during post-processing, the more I appreciated its subtle beauty, in an gritty industrial kind of way. As Robert points out, the remnants of what used to be, are good fodder for photographers. Enjoy.