Shane Kiefer, a 2014 graduate of Bucknell University, is an award-winning photographer of nature and abandoned places. A large majority of his photography focuses on the natural world around us, and in particular, from the exploration of abandoned man-made structures and other various types of abandoned ruins. A focal point of these photographs is the connection between nature and mankind, and how nature is constantly reclaiming what has been urbanized by society. Shane has been to factories, abandoned coal mine lands, hospitals, hotels, sanitariums, schools, amusement parks, prisons, military facilities, villages, asylums, and more
ARTIST STATEMENT: Kenopsia – the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that’s usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet — a school hallway in the evening, an unlit office on a weekend, vacant fairgrounds — an emotional afterimage that makes it seem not just empty but hyper-empty.
Time is complex. As it passes, things that were once important fade from thought altogether, and new memories rise to take their place. My series of abandoned photographs help to not only preserve the rich history of locations that now stand forgotten, but also bring back the ghosts of memories lost to time. Moreover, I hope my work will serve as a conduit for a thought-provoking experience in viewers; a mix of nostalgia, forgotten joys, desolate sadness, eerie fascination, and vicarious adventure.
My work also seeks to highlight the tenuous relationship between nature and humankind. The abandonment of places that were once thriving social hubs shows that nature can never be truly urbanized. A building, once built to endure the elements of nature, is no longer able to keep from crumbling back into the earth from whence it was formed. Hallways and rooms devoid of life for years will slowly welcome back a more primitive form of being. My work captures an unfiltered portrait of places that have fallen victim to the passing of time and now only exist as echoes of the past.
Extending sincere gratitude to you all for exploring these forgotten memories with me.
EMAIL TO CONTACT SHANE ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF PHOTO PRINTS: srk017@bucknell.edu
