I have always been fascinated by photographs of buildings as they move into the phase of gentle decline and decay, before they are either restored and have a new life or they disappear either through demolition or through neglect.  You can see the grandeur of the buildings through the crumbling decay, dirt and damp.  Detroit, a once prosperous city that declined in fortune and had to file for bankruptcy has been a mecca for photographers, with abandoned hospitals, theaters, houses and offices reflecting the loss of population and income.

Daanoe, full name Daan Oude Elferink, was born in 1978 in the Netherlands. Only five years ago, in early 2009, he bought his first camera and became hooked first on photography and then on urban exploring, which is all about finding and exploring hidden, disused, locked spaces – finding ways in without being stopped, challenged or discovered.  In these spaces his photography seeks to explore the beauty of the decay of buildings whose history is still evident through the dust and the damp, as nature takes over.

Now represented by the Breeze Gallery and exhibiting at their base in Edinburgh in the old Jenner’s store, Daanoe has his own website here and a published book of his photographs.