Just Stood There
A Photography Exhibition by Ben Beech
These are the wrecks of eras past, scenes sunken and preserved in time.
Just Stood There focuses on an array of derelict or abandoned sites including schools, clinics, private residences and, in some cases, entire communities that decamped en masse.
Those of us who find our way to such places observe an unwritten but palpable rule: Shoot traces of the past, but leave none of your own. Rather than focusing on dilapidation and decay, the images are portholes into lives lived, transparent boundaries between observation and participation.
The buildings themselves are standing lessons in history and the architecture and aesthetics of the early 20th century, echoing a time before prefab homes and the socioeconomic decline that precipitated their current state. Although most of the images in this ongoing project focus on Japan, a few were taken on the neighbouring continent.
I am proud to announce I will be holding my first solo exhibition in Tokyo between the dates of November 5th and November 10th. The exhibition will be held at Clouds Art + Coffee, in Koenji.
This exhibition will also coincide with the release of a collaborative project I have been working on with London Elektricity – Building Better Worlds. Read more about that here.
Access information, times and all other info on the flyer below. I look forward to seeing some of you at the show!