Photographers Love It....buyers Hate It.

I have a few images of decaying buildings...or as you called it "Ruin Porn" (I love that! Never heard it referred to that way before.)

I have sold this one at least two....maybe 3 times
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/no-power-andrew-pacheco.html

It is more a detail of decay than a crumbling ruin. I haven't sold any of the graffiti covered ruins that I have in my portfolio though. I think in the future, I will concentrate on capturing details when I find myself in these types of settings. I do love to capture decay though.

I think in the case of old, decaying barns, there are two reasons they sell.

1. They are often shot as an interesting focal point in a landscape, not as a subject of decay. The barn and the landscape compliment each other visually and make for a more interesting photo than you'd get with out one or the other.

2. The decaying barn can be seen as a kind of symbolism for the way that small, local, diversified farms fed people. People knew the farmer whose food fed them, and in many cases people produced at least part of their own food at one time. The current distaste for factory farming and shipping fresh food great distances, causes people to pine for the old ways.

Maybe I'm reading too much into things on #2. I did spend the weekend tending to my seedlings and an incubator full of hatching ducklings...but point #1 is probably spot on! :P

I think people like old barns because of a sort of nostalgia for the "old days" of the simple life of the independent rural farmer, it's almost kind of calming. You don't get that feeling from a crumbling urban building, unless you are into all kinds of nostalgia like me. I do find the old Packard complex interesting because I'm into cars as well, there's a ton of history there that I'm actually familiar with, but even then I don't want a photo of the ruins on my wall, an old historic photo taken during it's hay day, sure, especially if an early Packard is parked in front of it. (I am glad to hear they are resurrecting at least part of it.).

I've more or less found the same thing of abandoned vehicles, you very rarely find one on the sold page, but much more often than "urbex" images.

Perhaps, "Rural Ruin Porn" has it's appeal because the mindset might be that the owner of that decaying barn has moved on to a bigger and better barn, where that is not the case with "Urban Ruin Porn"

And consider Depression "Rural Ruin Porn" not having that same appeal

Yupp, love shooting it but have never sold a single one of then.

Thing is as cool as it is to look at would ut accent the couch

I'd venture to say that the majority of people in the US of A have never known of an active small family farm - the majority of people live in very urban metropolitan cities like NYC, LA, Chicago, Detroit - etc.

"I'd venture to say that the majority of people in the US of A have never known of an active small family farm - the majority of people live in very urban "

That's very true, our modern technology allows the population to be supported by a very small percentage working in the agricultural industry, however people do like the "idea" of it, of the "simple life" on the small independent farm. Of course nothing is as simple and rosy as it appears on the outside but we like to dream, it's a break from our modern hectic city lifestyle. I think it's why the idea of the 50's being such a great/happy/innocent time in American history so popular when there were plenty of problems then as well, but the cars, the music, the fashion all feeds our need for nostalgia for a "better, happier time". I don't think crumbling, urban buildings provide that same sense of nostalgia for most people, they mostly evoke feelings of sadness and loss, and too many people see that kind of thing every day anyway.

Nostalgia.

People leave the Urban decay to spend a day driving out in the country. They spend their time out on back country roads enjoying the scenery.
The dilapidated barns remind them of time spent out of the office - on romantic trips with loved ones.

Now for the Country folks : Everyone grew up with a farm just down the road a ways. Maybe it was Grandma's house and you got to spend a few weeks there in the summer.
Or perhaps just a favorite view on your way home from work - & you took the kids there on the weekend to pick up fresh eggs and pet the farm animals.

Either which way - warm fuzzy memories.

Urban decay or Ruin Porn - fascinating textural elements and subjects - not so feel-good - stuff daydreams are made out of.

I have a dilapidated barn that sells - she's a beauty , also an abandoned house that has seen better days.

Makes me feel lonely & sad - & I like it.

it depends how you sell it, how the light looks and who its for. if you can relate to it - an old barn you can relate too because its in decay normally, you may get it. Chernobyl scene may be interesting because of where it is. if it has a theme it will usually sell. like an old abandoned hospital. even an old jail depending how you edit it. urban can sell, just not often.

if its just a pile of rubble, it probably won't sell, because basically that's a shot of trash. but if its an old dusty piano, and the window is broken in the background, and you have an eerie light with an interesting title, you could sell it those that like music or haunted houses. depends on your spin.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

I think the person that likes Ruin Porn is usually the type of person that is out there themselves photographing the old abandoned buildings.

The photo book, "The City" by Lori Nix did pretty well. Her work is spectacular, and is all over Pinterest, particularly her image "Library, 2007". It's fascinating work, and capitalized on the whole idea of abandoned spaces. When you get to the reveal, it's even more impressive.

http://lorinix.com/

or the NPR story:

http://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2012/04/10/150316321/the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-and-its-a-small-small-world

-YoPedro
Twitter@YoPedro

"Ruin porn" is in the museums, upper end galleries as extreme limited editions, and art centers.

They sell, but mostly to the wealthy. Here's the thing about high end buyers that's kind of strange and that I find interesting: many, many of them like art that looks like, well, trash, or poopy, or that depicts depraved situations, suburbia, homelessness, prison situations, etc. For instance, how did Eric Fischl become such a big deal? Or Jean-Michel Basquiat (practically graffiti)? Or Bel Linquist (lots of swearing), Cameron Holmes (crude frenetic portraits of people who are distressed), Sebastien Alouf (portraits of disheveled people where the people dissolve). Disgusting food art and the use of bathroom fixtures are in a lot of the works of artists who show in our top museums. The more outrageous it is, the more it appeals.

So perhaps the photographers roaming around Detroit are trying to get into the upper echelons and get the trashiest scene they can find, complete with a beautiful female model nailed to a cross, with blood dripping down one of the sides of a building, and a man taking a crap with his hands clenching a roll of toilet paper while sitting on a dirty toilet outside in the rubble behind the woman nailed to a cross. (!) I kid you not: it'd probably sell.

There are two markets on FAA, the people coming through the door so to speak looking for dorm posters and the market you make out there for your art. One will never negate the other. Only the public whoever that might be can buy or not buy.

Dave

I think old barns are attractive because of the patina of weathered wood. It's the same reason people like driftwood.

I have done my share of ruin porn and love it. I think there would be a market for this in converted loft buildings. The ones with exposed brick that keep the feel, not the soft loft. These are mostly called New York style lofts and very high end.

I love the decay images. They are so full of interesting textures. It seems like the images that sell a lot here are more like stock images, or something that would look good on a calendar. I do think the ruin porn sells at more high end galleries, and possibly high end online sites that have limited editions etc. I have sold a few rusted vehicles, and just recently sold an image of detail of a peeling paint wall but it did have bright intense colors. Also it was through designer prints so I assume it was an interior designer.

I love rusty, worn, weathered old stuff. Cars, barns, ruins. Its the texture, the feeling of time gone by and the love for a time for things were made from "real" stuff like stone, wood and metal unlike plastic.

Its the same stuff I like to do with model railroading. Weathering stuff from time gone by.

BTW - Bernd and Hilla Becher made a career out of photographing old factories, water towers etc.

Me too, I cannot wait to post my stuff that doesn't sell. Thanks for the photography idea. It's called ruin porn? This is new to me.

Ruin Porn looks great in modern galleries and high-end homes because of the contrast.

There are lots of fashion shoots in abandoned buildings. New, well-lit things like jewelry, sexy supermodels, cars and musical instruments look even shinier and newer against rust and decay.

The converse is also attractive. Put an old, feeble man in a clean, spacious, well-appointed room ala Stanley Kubrick in 2001 A Space Odyssey and you have a very interesting image.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

There are some groups here, for old buildings and ruins and for urban images and they are very low in activity. I have seen some images of penitentiaries sell but does one want to have them on their walls? A gallery yes...

Preservation is a good reason to shoot old stuff. I've shot a few things that have been since removed, knocked down, fell down or burned down.

I do a lot of ruins mainly old barns and homes in the rural areas and did quite a bit this past winter in the small dying towns of NE Iowa. Some of it is nostalgia but it is my vision of showing the passage of time and the change that takes place as buildings become abandoned.

Many emotions come out as one looks at images of abandoned places. To me they are some of the most captivating images and conjures up many stories in peoples minds.

I must be the exception.

I've sold this

http://40-david-smith.pixels.com/featured/one-room-schoolhouse-door-damascus-pennsylvania-david-smith.html

this

http://40-david-smith.pixels.com/featured/old-boat-2-stonington-maine-david-smith.html

and this

http://40-david-smith.pixels.com/featured/antique-coke-sign-2-david-smith.html

which all show elements of ruin or decay.

Actually those are half of what I've sold so far.

I love ruins too, because of the contrasts. As you note, Brian, I do do think they are reliant on a very specific buyer, or perhaps hanging location. It also it depends on the state of the ruins, too. For example, this one of a distinctive derelict hotel in San Juan Puerto Rico sold

http://richard-reeve.pixels.com/featured/san-juan-normandie-hotel-richard-reeve.html

as did this image of Eastern State Penitentiary

http://richard-reeve.pixels.com/featured/the-walk-ii-richard-reeve.html

So there is definitely a market there somewhere...

~Richard
reevephotos.com

So, I don't quite understand the whole ruin-porn thing, but it's appealing in a perverted sort of way, especially if it's juiced up with a lot of HDR and a sunset.

That said, I actually got an "assignment" from my local camera club, to shoot an old, rusty railroad shed that's been used to store old, rusty streetcar remains. I figured, since I'm shooting it, I might as well post it on FAA. So far, no sales, but I have seen a surprising amount of interest expressed in the pictures that FAA pushes out to other sites, especially Facebook....where is it...what is it...why are they there...etc. The interest is there if not the sales. I guess it's the inevitability of entropy.

I like to view ruin porn, here is a film I made with PD images and footage of some ruin porn, the thing with ruin porn is depending on how it is used it could evoke feelings of hopelessness or hope.

Why? Stereotypes. Rural ruins are "quaint." Urban ruins are "decay." Of course, both are true and a total crock, but that's still the subconscious' way of evaluating when logic isn't intentionally brought into the decision. People don't buy art with logic, they buy it with da feelz.

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire

Ruin Lust:

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/ruin-lust

I've sold several images of ruins over the years. Surprised me no end. I've not got any now....... Perhaps I should paint some

Ruins were so popular in the seventeenth century that the wealthy often had them construction on their property.

The practice of creating faux ruins continue today - http://www.designboom.com/art/alex-hartley-victoria-miro-architectural-intervention-11-20-2016/

In some instances, the images shot depend on one's location. If you happen to live in an old (architecture-wise) town, and rural scenes (barns, etc) are just a mile, or less, outside of town, you shoot those available scenes. Yes, travel is possible, but I think most shoot what is available, which is what I tend to do. When I go to Florida, I shoot beach scenes. ;)

I'm fascinated by ruins, be they urban, rural, automotive, what ever. I've shot a lot of this stuff more for my satisfaction than any other reason. But I have sold a few.

One is appealing while the other is appalling.

Brian, that is as succinct and to the point as it gets.

Now that you mention it . . .

this is as close to an urban ruin as I've ever sold - and it was a long time ago!

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/rons-automotive-2-nikolyn-mcdonald.html

This is one that hasn't sold, but people tell me that they like it. I pulled out the stops...hdr, black and white, selective color, all the stuff that purists frown upon, but, then, just what ELSE do you do with a rusty shed and a graffitied streetcar, especially when it's an assignment?

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/redrum-and-crash-doug-swanson.html

I havent sold this here yet, but have many like this that do very well on social media and competitions

http://3-kevin-oconnell.pixels.com/featured/abandoned-gothic-church-by-kevin-oconnell-kogalleriescom-kevin-oconnell.html

Purists were put on this earth for nonconformists to irk as much as humanly possible as we wave back at them, standing perfectly still, watching us move forward.

___________
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
So-so Board Moderator and
Artist Extraordinaire
Damn, I ought to write that one dow... oh. Nebbermind.

I think that people who love art would rather hang an image with character and creativity on there wall than some over-rated pretty sunset. Here is another that does very well.
http://3-kevin-oconnell.pixels.com/featured/haunted-staircase-by-kevin-oconnell-kogalleriescom-kevin-oconnell.html


Kevin OConnell
https://www.kogalleries.com/

I did some ruin porn like barns and old rusty trucks. I tend to see that flower photography is a bore, you see so many and they are pretty. But to have Ruin Porn makes it more interesting. I might just go out and take more of this Ruin Porn.

I believe many are uneducated in art and prefer realistic images of scenics, countryside, barns, etc. that reminds them of where they are from and what they are used to seeing. The newer subjects such as building ruins, industrial art is just too new for the general pubic to accept as art for their home although I think that is changing for the new generation coming up.

After traveling from one end of Kansas to the other over my vacation I ended up with quite a few images of the state that are fairly unique.

A couple that showed scenes most would not accosiate with Kansas got high view counts but the one ruin porn got more views and activity on SM than any of the more traditional oh and ah images. But, as the title of the thread implies I dount it is nearly as likely to sell as any of the others I produced.

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/that-old-time-religion-black-and-white-jc-findley.html

An ongoing exhibit is worth seeing if you are in Los Angeles:

For five years (1998-2003) New York photographer Stephen Wilkes explored the hospital complex that comprised the south side of Ellis Island. Neglected for almost fifty years, the buildings were in a state of extreme disrepair: lead paint peeled from the ceilings and walls, vines and trees grew through the floorboards, detritus and debris littered the hallways. In rooms long-abandoned, Wilkes captured a spirited new vision of this gateway to freedom. Twelve million people passed through Ellis Island. Approximately one percent were turned away for health reasons. Wilkes's powerful images of the underbelly of the island--a purgatory between freedom and captivity--ask us to reflect on the defining experiences of millions.

He shot the pictures with a 4x5 camera and in my entire life I have never seen such crystal clear photographs.

Many prints are super-huge, adding even more clarity to the subject matter.

Take a 3D Tour of the Exhibition: http://bit.ly/2nFcuA9

Ruin porn isn't anything especially new. Just go to an art museum and notice that there are probably some paintings from centuries ago that feature ruined, overgrown buildings from even further back.