Book Review: Beauty in Decay II
Title: Beauty in Decay II. Photographer: RomanyWG. Essays: Polly Chillery. Reference: ISBN 978-1-908211-10-1. First published: 2012 by Carpet Bombing Culture. Web site: www.carpetbombingculture.co.uk. Size:267mm x 267mm x 24mm square format. I admit to having esoteric taste in photography. For example, I have always liked images of old buildings in decay. There is something about faded grandeur, that evanescence, which haunts me. Perhaps it stems from my time spent in inner city Birmingham in the 60’s working to rebuild the city after the war years. Many buildings were demolished: domestic; commercial; and governmental. I was able to wander among them before demolition. In the quiet time, before they died. Or, perhaps it was my time spent as a building surveyor where it was my job to inspect old buildings. I have been inside of many fascinating structures. So, you can see why a book depicting images discovered whilst urban exploring might fascinate me. This book doesn’t disappoint. It has dozens of images, many filling the whole page, taken in many countries. The subject matter ranges from grand domestic to industrial. Unfortunately, …