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Ethereal Landscapes and Abandoned Beauties: Exploring Brendon Burton’s American West

a large green field with trees in the background
  • Journey through the Lens: Brendon Burton's photographic road trip across the western United States, capturing the beauty of abandoned structures and isolated landscapes.
  • Ethereal Imagery: His photographs, often devoid of people, focus on architectural details and changing landscapes, reflecting the passage of time and the concept of liminality.
  • Seasonal Symphony: Burton’s work showcases the cycles of nature, like the unique smiley face on timberland in Oregon, highlighting the transformative power of the seasons.
  • Upcoming Endeavors: Burton is working towards publishing a book of his photographs, continuing to share his unique perspective on forgotten places and moments in time.

Ah, let me tell you about my encounter with the world through Brendon Burton's eyes. It was a journey that began last summer when he left his Portland home, embarking on a road trip through the vast stretches of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Utah. I remember how his tales painted a vivid picture of the great western expanses, almost as if I were riding shotgun in his car.

A Canvas of Memories and Time

As autumn approached, Burton's lens captured the misty Pacific Northwest, transitioning to the fiery autumnal palette of New York and West Virginia. His photography, characterized by hauntingly beautiful, dilapidated farmhouses and desolate roads, feels like a delicate dance between the past and the present. It's as if each image whispers stories of times gone, etching them into our collective memory.

The Quiet Spectacle of the Ordinary

What strikes me most about Burton's work is its focus on what's not there – the absence of people. His images are a testament to the forgotten, and the overlooked. Architectural details, and artifacts left behind – speak volumes of the lives once lived there. Each photograph is a vignette, a frozen moment in time, inviting us to ponder the stories these silent witnesses could tell.

a large green field with a mountain in the background

Liminal Spaces and Seasonal Changes

Burton's lens doesn't just capture decay; it explores liminality – the transitional, the in-between. Like an Appalachian church embraced by the cycle of the seasons, or the smiley face emerging on an Oregon hillside, his photos reveal how landscapes and structures evolve, morph, and metamorphose.

Looking Ahead

Burton's journey continues as he works toward a book of photographs, aiming to publish later this year. His works, available on his website, Behance, and Instagram, are not just images but portals into a world of transient beauty and forgotten tales.

a tree in the rain
a large green field with a mountain in the background