#urban-decay

#urban-decay

Gordon Matta-Clark is best known for his "cuttings" of abandoned and derelict structures in 1970s New York, which made open-air sculptures out of symbols of decay and were seen as an early exercise in deconstructivism. Besides slicing up piers and houses, he also founded an experimental gallery at 112 Greene Street in Soho and Food, the legendary artist-run restaurant that he co-created with Carol Goodden and Tina Girouard, which, like the building cuts, blurred the boundary between art-making and life.

By 1970, much of the housing stock was fifty years old and in need of substantial capital investments: new roofs, elevators, plumbing, and electrical wiring. Many small landlords simply couldn't afford these improvements. They did not abandon their buildings because they lost value-they abandoned them because they were losing money. Some of these landlords had put their life savings into their buildings.

Britain is characterized by an overwhelming sense of disarray, where everyday essentials become increasingly expensive while public services falter, leaving citizens frustrated.

The building, once an elite members' club frequented by celebrities, has devolved into a derelict squat, attracting antisocial behavior and neglect.