140 Comments Posted by paul

Agreed.. but also, invokes an entrapping sense in the viewer, looking out into the outside world through bars , the interior is equally as subdued as the environment within.. Great photograph.

Excellent shot, got the wallpaper.. ! The length of the corridor and the hosereel leads the viewers eye to the sunlight filled windows. However, it is unsettling to see the two chairs positioned as they are, like they are hinting at the civilisation of the past that now leaves them vacant.

The hues seen are effectively varied; mid tone seen on the peeling walls, showing the state of decay the place is experiencing, but the 'Magenta Light' as it were, gives an almost menacing look to the caged in bathroom by its striking intensity.

The peeling of paint fully supports Motts' premise of time taking its toll on a place removed of its former use. Here, we are able to see layers shed, in effect revealing a factor of the past before our eyes, being the old paint. Furthermore, we must take into account that the view into the outside world through the window seems to be limited, implying a generally entrapping environment the patients may have had.

The bright, happy colours that Angela comments on must have an attempt to alleviate whatever disorder the patient must have been suffering from. Invariably, him or her would have been unhappy to some degree, black would be the colour of the persons mind, the interior of this room would challenge such a feeling.

Perfect tonal range, black and white really acts as the best medium to emphasise the sombre look the door has and more so what lies inside the room. We are also able to almost empathise with the mental patients once confined to this room. Furthermore, the peeling paint is a subtle comment on time and how the layers are stripped away when left devoid of human maintainence.

unsettling, almost gives a human quality to the otherwise cold and hostile surroundings.

Agreed with everyone else - the image evokes curiosity yet fear in the viewer, with the the weathered stairs giving the perfect descent into the basement which has an almost unhealthy greeen glow to it.

The mid - tone colour { British spelling} is perfect for emphasising the almost sombre feel the shot exhibits, with the sheet laid on it suggesting that it is concealing something, or someone, inside.

The dust provides a sense of age immediately. Even more so, this shot starkly illustrates the absence of privacy and dignity of which we all take for granted in such a situation. The most disturbing aspect is that children used them, at such a vulnerable time of life, they were almost de- humanised. We should be grateful that Motts successfully exposes this flaw, albeit used years ago, but nonethless questions the pleasent veneer that the place must have had. The very fact that lawsuits were filed proves my point. I wonder how these children turned out to be ?

A very evocative shot, the position of the bike - like some kids just got of it, matched with the bench seen in the background, acting as examples of former civilisation. However, the building that encloses this playground seems entrapping, like the innocence of the children was corrupted, with the contrast of the blue sky offering the only sense of freedom to aspire to.

In my opinion, one of Mott's best shots throughout all locations covered.

Truly a suggestive, deep, and atmospheric shot.

Agreed, bland and empty but far from uninteresting. Just imagine some kid in here living the effects of being confined in this very room, it being his only area of privacy in the place he considered home - you can almost feel the unhappiness and instability in photographs such as these, executed so precisely and effectively by Motts

Great contrast, the rotting wood falling at its own rate with the almost unchanged look of the windows and the hypnotic looking walls.

Great perspective involved in this shot, playing on the idea that there was once human contact with the mattress, which offered a place of comfort for the patient. Years later, he or she is absent, leaving a harsh, cold look in this decaying place.

Morbidly interesting.. Instead of seeing the interior of the Hospital, which housed mentally ill patients who were alive, we are now privy to the temporary location of a dead person. The wooden block heightens this idea greatly.