Abandoned Houses 2016 - 2021
Traditional saltbox houses still dot the shoreline of Bonavista Bay on the east coast of Newfoundland. With diminishing cod stocks and loss of livelihood however, many families have moved away and left these buildings abandoned. A large number of these historical dwellings have stood empty for years, while others have fallen down. The remaining structures (houses, sheds and ‘stores’ for storage of fishing gear) are evidence of European settlement in the area; the tangible testament to the toil of past generations and perseverance in a harsh climate.
I enter these abandoned houses through a fallen door or a collapsed wall. The lives of their occupants are evidenced in the objects strewn around the rooms. Dishes fill the cupboards, and beds are made up, yet the roofs have collapsed and the mossy floorboards are rotten. I explore these sites in a mixed state of fear and excitement; returning to the same house at different times, in different light, to document what was left behind and bear witness to what remains.