#christopherpayne

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© Christopher Payne/Courtesy of Benrubi Gallery, NYC

Patient Bathtub, Fairfield Hills State Hospital, Newtown, CT 2003

"There’s only a single tub in the entire room. It has no controls. They were located on a nearby wall so that patients couldn’t adjust temperature or water flow. There’s a beautiful simplicity to the scene, and the tub has a sculptural feel. The room is well-constructed —the tile is in perfect condition after decades of use. The space is clean and clinically functional, with a very carefully designed layout. This approach and this look of logical design is very common in the mental institutions of the period. The illumination is ambient light that pours through large windows and doors, both beautiful and practical."

From: FINDING BEAUTY AND PATHOS IN AMERICA'S ABANDONED STATE MENTAL HOSPITALS

[wgsn]

Photographer Christopher Payne’s specialism is capturing America’s historic architecture and industrial heritage. In his latest project, Textiles, Payne documents the colourful behind-the-scenes world that is America’s niche textile industry. Celebrating the “craftsmanship and the small-scale manufacturing that is still persevering in the face of changes to the industrial process and global competitions.”