Johnny Joo’s photographs of abandoned locations give insight to a life after humans, but his work has a much deeper meaning than that.
The remains of abandoned towns and buildings have provided inspiration for countless horror films and afternoon jaunts to the outskirts of town. But 25-year-old photographer Johnny Joo knows that abandoned places can offer much more than that: beauty.
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1 of 22The morgue of an abandoned asylum.Johnny Joo 2 of 22A countryside home with a collapsed roof.Johnny Joo 3 of 22An abandoned home, still containing all of the person’s belongings.Johnny Joo 4 of 22"The forest where time stopped.“Johnny Joo 5 of 22A former restaurant signage factory and daycare.Johnny Joo 6 of 22Shipwreck outside of Astoria, Ore.Johnny Joo 7 of 22The town of Spectre, Alabama, an abandoned movie set from the filming of Big Fish.Johnny Joo 8 of 22A partially demolished Brewster Douglas building in Detroit that no longer exists.Johnny Joo 9 of 22An abandoned car overtaken by nature.Johnny Joo 10 of 22A former Dixies Diner and truckers rest stop in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo 11 of 22The former Knox County Poorhouse in Ohio that burned down in 2015.Johnny Joo 12 of 22The abandoned neighborhood of Lincoln Way in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo 13 of 22An abandoned playhouse in a Pennsylvania elementary school.Johnny Joo 14 of 22The abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo 15 of 22A box seat at the abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo 16 of 22A theatre inside of the Randall Park Mall, once one of the largest in the country, in Randall, Ohio.Johnny Joo 17 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio.Johnny Joo 18 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, after a snowfall.Johnny Joo 19 of 22The abandoned Six Flags in New Orleans.Johnny Joo 20 of 22St. Peter and Paul Church in Pittsburgh, Penn.Johnny Joo 21 of 22A Victorian home in Ohio.Johnny Joo 22 of 22Like this gallery?Share it:
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These Photographs Of Abandoned Locations Give You A Glimpse Into A Post-Apocalyptic World View Gallery
Joo’s abandoned location photography stems from a love for adventure. Joo — who cites artists such as Salvador Dalí, Hayao Miyazaki, Jack Vettriano, and Gregory Crewdson as inspiration — started photographing these sites in 2006, and says that doing so allows him to show others an unknown and forgotten world amid everyday life.
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1 of 22The morgue of an abandoned asylum.Johnny Joo 2 of 22A countryside home with a collapsed roof.Johnny Joo 3 of 22An abandoned home, still containing all of the person’s belongings.Johnny Joo 4 of 22"The forest where time stopped.“Johnny Joo 5 of 22A former restaurant signage factory and daycare.Johnny Joo 6 of 22Shipwreck outside of Astoria, Ore.Johnny Joo 7 of 22The town of Spectre, Alabama, an abandoned movie set from the filming of Big Fish.Johnny Joo 8 of 22A partially demolished Brewster Douglas building in Detroit that no longer exists.Johnny Joo 9 of 22An abandoned car overtaken by nature.Johnny Joo 10 of 22A former Dixies Diner and truckers rest stop in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo 11 of 22The former Knox County Poorhouse in Ohio that burned down in 2015.Johnny Joo 12 of 22The abandoned neighborhood of Lincoln Way in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo 13 of 22An abandoned playhouse in a Pennsylvania elementary school.Johnny Joo 14 of 22The abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo 15 of 22A box seat at the abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo 16 of 22A theatre inside of the Randall Park Mall, once one of the largest in the country, in Randall, Ohio.Johnny Joo 17 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio.Johnny Joo 18 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, after a snowfall.Johnny Joo 19 of 22The abandoned Six Flags in New Orleans.Johnny Joo 20 of 22St. Peter and Paul Church in Pittsburgh, Penn.Johnny Joo 21 of 22A Victorian home in Ohio.Johnny Joo 22 of 22Like this gallery?Share it:
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1 of 22The morgue of an abandoned asylum.Johnny Joo 2 of 22A countryside home with a collapsed roof.Johnny Joo 3 of 22An abandoned home, still containing all of the person’s belongings.Johnny Joo 4 of 22"The forest where time stopped.“Johnny Joo 5 of 22A former restaurant signage factory and daycare.Johnny Joo 6 of 22Shipwreck outside of Astoria, Ore.Johnny Joo 7 of 22The town of Spectre, Alabama, an abandoned movie set from the filming of Big Fish.Johnny Joo 8 of 22A partially demolished Brewster Douglas building in Detroit that no longer exists.Johnny Joo 9 of 22An abandoned car overtaken by nature.Johnny Joo 10 of 22A former Dixies Diner and truckers rest stop in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo 11 of 22The former Knox County Poorhouse in Ohio that burned down in 2015.Johnny Joo 12 of 22The abandoned neighborhood of Lincoln Way in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo 13 of 22An abandoned playhouse in a Pennsylvania elementary school.Johnny Joo 14 of 22The abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo 15 of 22A box seat at the abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo 16 of 22A theatre inside of the Randall Park Mall, once one of the largest in the country, in Randall, Ohio.Johnny Joo 17 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio.Johnny Joo 18 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, after a snowfall.Johnny Joo 19 of 22The abandoned Six Flags in New Orleans.Johnny Joo 20 of 22St. Peter and Paul Church in Pittsburgh, Penn.Johnny Joo 21 of 22A Victorian home in Ohio.Johnny Joo 22 of 22Like this gallery?Share it:
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1 of 22The morgue of an abandoned asylum.Johnny Joo 2 of 22A countryside home with a collapsed roof.Johnny Joo 3 of 22An abandoned home, still containing all of the person’s belongings.Johnny Joo 4 of 22"The forest where time stopped.“Johnny Joo 5 of 22A former restaurant signage factory and daycare.Johnny Joo 6 of 22Shipwreck outside of Astoria, Ore.Johnny Joo 7 of 22The town of Spectre, Alabama, an abandoned movie set from the filming of Big Fish.Johnny Joo 8 of 22A partially demolished Brewster Douglas building in Detroit that no longer exists.Johnny Joo 9 of 22An abandoned car overtaken by nature.Johnny Joo 10 of 22A former Dixies Diner and truckers rest stop in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo 11 of 22The former Knox County Poorhouse in Ohio that burned down in 2015.Johnny Joo 12 of 22The abandoned neighborhood of Lincoln Way in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo 13 of 22An abandoned playhouse in a Pennsylvania elementary school.Johnny Joo 14 of 22The abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo 15 of 22A box seat at the abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo 16 of 22A theatre inside of the Randall Park Mall, once one of the largest in the country, in Randall, Ohio.Johnny Joo 17 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio.Johnny Joo 18 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, after a snowfall.Johnny Joo 19 of 22The abandoned Six Flags in New Orleans.Johnny Joo 20 of 22St. Peter and Paul Church in Pittsburgh, Penn.Johnny Joo 21 of 22A Victorian home in Ohio.Johnny Joo 22 of 22Like this gallery?Share it:
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1 of 22The morgue of an abandoned asylum.Johnny Joo
2 of 22A countryside home with a collapsed roof.Johnny Joo
3 of 22An abandoned home, still containing all of the person’s belongings.Johnny Joo
4 of 22"The forest where time stopped.“Johnny Joo
5 of 22A former restaurant signage factory and daycare.Johnny Joo
6 of 22Shipwreck outside of Astoria, Ore.Johnny Joo
7 of 22The town of Spectre, Alabama, an abandoned movie set from the filming of Big Fish.Johnny Joo
8 of 22A partially demolished Brewster Douglas building in Detroit that no longer exists.Johnny Joo
9 of 22An abandoned car overtaken by nature.Johnny Joo
10 of 22A former Dixies Diner and truckers rest stop in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo
11 of 22The former Knox County Poorhouse in Ohio that burned down in 2015.Johnny Joo
12 of 22The abandoned neighborhood of Lincoln Way in Pennsylvania.Johnny Joo
13 of 22An abandoned playhouse in a Pennsylvania elementary school.Johnny Joo
14 of 22The abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo
15 of 22A box seat at the abandoned Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.Johnny Joo
16 of 22A theatre inside of the Randall Park Mall, once one of the largest in the country, in Randall, Ohio.Johnny Joo
17 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio.Johnny Joo
18 of 22The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, after a snowfall.Johnny Joo
19 of 22The abandoned Six Flags in New Orleans.Johnny Joo
20 of 22St. Peter and Paul Church in Pittsburgh, Penn.Johnny Joo
21 of 22A Victorian home in Ohio.Johnny Joo
22 of 22Like this gallery?Share it:
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These Photographs Of Abandoned Locations Give You A Glimpse Into A Post-Apocalyptic World View Gallery
These Photographs Of Abandoned Locations Give You A Glimpse Into A Post-Apocalyptic World View Gallery
These Photographs Of Abandoned Locations Give You A Glimpse Into A Post-Apocalyptic World View Gallery
These Photographs Of Abandoned Locations Give You A Glimpse Into A Post-Apocalyptic World View Gallery
These Photographs Of Abandoned Locations Give You A Glimpse Into A Post-Apocalyptic World
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“When I started photographing abandoned structures,” Joo said, “there wasn’t as much of a presence of ‘urbex’ or ‘urban exploration,’ and it was simply just adventuring, finding cool places and photographing them to document them along with everything else in life.”
For Joo, that “adventuring” has meant exploring a 28-building asylum complex straight out of a horror movie – loaded with ticks and moldy walls, inhabited only by stacks of medical records from a time when the mentally ill were treated with disregard. Each site Joo explores has a distinctive mood, which in a way anthropomorphizes them. “The structures become a victim; a marionette to nature’s decay,” Joo wrote when explaining the photographs in his book “Empty Spaces.”
The wider scope of Joo’s art isn’t about the inevitability of death and decay, though; it is about human connection.
“I want to be able to reach people and truly bring more people together in life,” Joo said. “I want to share art, human interaction, creativity. We’re all in this together, we may as well take the opportunity given to communicate and learn. Without using that, we are wasting so much.”
To learn more about Joo’s artwork – including his photography, writing and videography – check out his blog Architectural Afterlife and his YouTube page Urbex US.
