Is decay appropriate for wall art?
I think peeling paint and rusty machines are beautiful. No, of course I don’t want to see rust on my car, or peeling paint on my house. But as a photographer, the textures and character of rusty old machines is hard for me to ignore.
This new photograph is the perfect example. It’s a macro photograph of thick red paint that has — over time — peeled away from the rusting metal below. The effect of the shadows and textures gives the image a very three-dimensional illusion. I almost feel like I could touch the upraised curls of paint. I love the idea that this tiny landscape of only a few inches could be enlarged up to 40-inches and used as a piece of wall art.
Would an interior designer or art buyer consider a photograph of rust for a design project?
Probably not — especially for corporate office decor. I’ve had art buyers tell me that images of rusty equipment or ruined buildings send the “wrong message” inside the corporate environment, where leaders want to foster the mindset of modern efficiency and progress.
That’s OK though. I still love this photograph, and I’m proud to include it in my Antique Machines portfolio.
Thanks for reading!
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~ Keith