The ART
Matt & Chuck
Matt (Vacated Vision)
Matthew lives in Plainville, Massachusetts. After graduating from King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham Massachusetts, Matthew attended Framingham State College. He graduated in 2007 with a double major in Social Sciences and Elementary Education with a minor in archaeological and urban development studies. He finds exploring abandoned places exciting because of their historical context's and significances. Always curious about what is around the next corner.
I would also like to add that Matt is the official 'door opener' on our journeys.
Chuck (Art in Ruin)
I have been interested in abandoned places for some time now. This is my chance to get into the field and do what I do best - take some pictures. Granted many of these places are well guarded, and may be creepier than all hell, I bring a buddy and get the heck inside. Just stick to the mantra, "Breaking and entering is a crime, while entering without breaking is an art."
Making it Interesting...
In 2006, we visited several places, captured them on camera, and decided to put them up on facebook. It was not long after this that exploring these places became a regular thing,and the comments started rolling and the popularity grew. The need to put these pictures in a more formal setting became necessary.
Every place we go to, Matt'll find a door of some sort, and find a way to open it. I'll turn to him and say, "Damn it Matt, now we have to go in. What the hell did you do that for?!" We laugh, because it's true. When you walk in to where ever it is you walk into, it's the fear, as well as the anticipation that engulfs you that makes you uncomfortable, scared, happy, and pissed at Matt for opening the door at the same time.
But to make it interesting, Matt has challenged me to a photo-competition. Every week, he mocks my pictures, because I take 200, and he takes 50. We have come up with a system, mainly for me to prove that quantity can be quality. We each take a designated amount of pictures, photoshop them, and leave you to vote for your favorites. If you Matt's live journal, you can post, member or anonymous, on the latest competition. We urge you to vote honestly, and to post your name if you post anonymously.
http://community.livejournal.com/vacatedvision/
Each round starts on Friday night/Saturday, and ends the following Thursday. Have fun voting!
You can be a member of the ART
By submitting your pictures, giving us some heads up on some locations to visit, or even contacting us to come along on a trip, you can be a part of the team.