Modern architecture is usually grandly depicted in pristine photographs against seductive backdrops. But buildings, like all things, are subject to the decay of time.
The photographs of Chris Mottalini depict modernist homes, built by Paul Rudolph in the mid-twentieth century, in a deteriorated state, shortly before their planned demolition. They sit unoccupied, bereft of the aura of progress and craftsmanship they once possessed.
The discord between the idealized version of architecture and its real-world evolution is striking, making you think about the future of contemporary landmarks we hold dear today.
Mottalini photographed the homes, which are located in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Florida, in 2007, but the images were recently compiled in book form. After You Left / They Took It Apart: Demolished Paul Rudolph Homes was published in Fall of 2013. [It's Nice That]