Beauty in Decay

About eight years ago, I became interested in abandon buildings. I was practically interested with asylums and hospitals. Through the research of the structures I learned more about the inner working of the institutions themselves. What they were like fifty years ago, and why so many were shut down. I have only been in a few old buildings that would be condemned, if they were not considered historical. Once you get past the fear of breathing in lead paint, asbestos, mold, and who knows what else comes along, the structures take on a unique beauty. What was once man made is slowly but surely being taken apart bit by bit by nature from the ground up, an ever-changing piece of art. It is amazing to see something that was built by man a century ago quickly disintegrate, compared to the great monuments of the ancients that are only now being effected by modern pollution.

Other buildings that I have become fascinated with recently are warehouses and factories. I have passed by quite a few factories at night in my travels, all lit up like post-apocalyptic cities. Some are small with only a few lights while others seemed to be many blocks wide with hundreds of flickering yellow bulbs. They pump out billows of smoke or steam; some even have blue and yellow flames shooting out of the pipes. For all the harm they can cause to the environment they are a wonder to see. I try to imagine what it was like when the industrial age started and people saw such similar brick mammoths being built. These cities devoted to creating products for the masses. A love hate relation most likely started quickly with the general population. Now the Grandfathers of the new steel machines sit empty and forgotten. Some are bought and change into something else that was never there original purpose. While others go the way of many forgotten buildings. They become condemned and quite dangerous with not just flaking of harmful particles but also the weakening of the structure before it finally buckles in on itself.
In some way, they are a reminder that nothing lasts forever.

Photos of a crazy Toy Soldier

The week before Toy Soldier Day, I had entered into a contest just under the wire with the Help of Sergey and his mad camera skills. In all, he took about a hundred photos in which five were chosen to have text added and then submitted.
Here are the photos I sent in:

"X Marks The Spot"

"Manufacture Tomorrow for a Utopian Playland"

"The Loving Eye of Education"
(Wish I had put the Dr.Steel image in the T.V. for this shot)

"P.S.A."

"It's Time for Some Payback. It's Time for Some Fun."

Contest update!
Winners for C.R.E.A.T.E.
Contest put together by
Toy Soldier Nurse Dr. Ophelia Strating
Judged by Dr. Steel

FIRST PLACE: Monte!
SECOND PLACE: Lyca
THIRD PLACE: Professor Jimmy Blue!

Sergey Poberezhny Blog http://photoserg.blogspot.com/
Doctor Steel www.doctorsteel.com
Toy Soldier Unite http://www.toysoldiersunite.com/

Doctor Steel logo (C) Dr.Steel
Photos (C) Sergey Poberezhny

Celebrating Plastic Beach with new and old drawings.

Here is a quick water color sketch I did in celebration of Gorillaz new album that came out Monday called "Plastic Beach". I've notice a slight change in the style of drawing for the characters but not too different from "Demon Days". Murdoc is of course one of my favorite to draw. I actually did this one real fast just to see if I could still draw Murdoc at all. I had a quick reference from the "Demon Days" cover and that was it. So it actually turned out pretty good for not drawing this character in the last three years or so.

I then had to dig out one of my old Murdoc drawings to compare; it was a favorite of mine. Had to dig deep into my bin of old art work in order to fine it. Now I have a pile of artwork I need to go through and pull out some new ideas.


Here is a old piece dated 5/23/06
I made a copy of it and slapped it on the cover of one of my sketch books.
Gorillaz © Damon Albarn & Jamie Hewlett
Art © Eilfie Music