Photographer Max Skjöldebrand points his lens toward subjects that most of us overlook. Where other Vineyard photographers might document nature or the accomplishments of man in the form of beautiful buildings, Mr. Skjöldebrand takes a look at structures in decay.
In a show currently hanging at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse’s Art Space, Mr. Skjöldebrand presents 20 black-and-white images of abandoned Vineyard buildings. The show’s title, “Distant Voices,” reflects on the story of each house.
“When I go into an empty building I always think, If the walls could speak …” Mr. Skjöldebrand said in a recent phone interview.
The views and angles that the photographer has chosen often do speak to the viewer, especially in the interior shots. In one of a naked front room with old-fashioned patterned wallpaper still intact, one could imagine someone dressed in the clothing of another era descending the staircase — the focus of the shot. An interior shot of the former Mayhew Chapel in West Tisbury features simple sturdy pews and a darkened no-nonsense pulpit, offering up a picture of a hardscrabble pioneer existence where worship, want, and hard work went hand in hand in hand.
In the artist’s statement included in the show, Mr. Skjoldebrand wrote, “The interiors to me are the spirit of the structure: the spaces, the light within those spaces, and the sequence of spaces seen through doors.”
The haunted quality of the interiors lies in contrast with the shots of aged and neglected exteriors, where one is impressed with both the solidity of the structure and the particulars of its deterioration. Despite crumbling siding, broken windows, missing shingles, and lopsided porches, the homes still hold some dignity and a sense of their former purpose.
Some of the most poignant images depict houses of worship, such as the Mayhew Chapel in West Tisbury, and the Denniston House and the Gospel Tabernacle on Dukes County Avenue in Oak Bluffs. But even the least prepossessing, simple houses in various neighborhoods around Vineyard Haven, maintain a sense of history as well as a hint of mystery.
“Each building, in its twilight, has a different story to tell,” Mr. Skjoldebrand wrote in his artist’s statement. “Each has been forsaken for a different reason.”
Appropriately, the buildings were all shot in the winter, with bare trees and sometimes snow heightening the desolate quality of the shots. The selection represents all six of the Island towns, and includes images ranging from a couple of typical Oak Bluffs cottages to the Federal-style Captain Warren House in Edgartown, to the the rustic Nature Conservancy barn in West Tisbury, to the tiny Naval Monitoring Post in Aquinnah.
It’s not surprising that Mr. Skjöldebrand has dealt so lovingly with what many would consider a less than aesthetically appealing subject. Before relocating to the Vineyard in 2010, he spent his working life as an architect in his native London and then in Dubai.
“I’m an architect by profession,” Mr. Skjöldebrand said. “I’ve always enjoyed photographing buildings, and I’ve always been interested in history. Over the years I’ve enjoyed visiting old buildings, cathedrals, and castles in England.”
One of Mr. Skjöldebrand’s favorite locations is the old Marine Hospital on Lagoon Pond Road in Vineyard Haven. “One of the most interesting buildings on the Island is the old hospital,” he said. “It’s so grand, and in such a public location.”
The photographer got permission from the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, which owns the property, to investigate and shoot the interior. He has posted an entire series of shots of the historic building on his website.
Another project that Mr. Skjöldebrand recently documented was the renovation of two of the old movie theaters on the Vineyard. His series of shots of the Strand in Oak Bluffs and the Capawock in Vineyard Haven were presented as an exhibit at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center last year.
Mr. Skjöldebrand’s other photographs serve as historical documentation. Two of the buildings featured in the Playhouse show have since been demolished. Others, fortunately, are currently under renovation.
The show’s opening last Saturday was well attended, with many other photographers and artists dropping by. Alison Shaw, who mentored Mr. Skjöldebrand in a photography workshop, wrote on Facebook, “‘Distant Voices’ is an incredibly distinctive and compelling body of work, and the gallery at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse is the perfect venue to do it justice.”
For a unique look at another side of the Vineyard, check out the show, which will hang through May 26 at Art Space in the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse lobby. The gallery is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 2-5 pm, or by chance or appointment.