Jason Oddy Photographs The Deafening Silence Of Empty Political Spaces
- Name
- Jason Oddy
- Words
- Steph Wade
British born photographer and writer Jason Oddy has a professional interest in photographing empty spaces of significance. The eerie architecture he focuses on often has political, historical or ideological concepts at their core, the sentiment of which is felt by the viewer through his work.
There’s something unnerving about Oddy’s images, which are predominantly taken at places that are off-limits to the public, or difficult to access. This includes photographing inside the Pentagon—the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba, and Ukrainian sanatoriums: curious state-run health and wellness institutions from the Soviet era. The photographer was also granted permission to enter Neue Prora, the former Nazi holiday resort in West Berlin. Further to this is his work in places of current political power, such as the United Nations building and the Palace of Nations in Geneva. By showing the simple details of these places, such as empty waiting rooms or hallways with open doorways, Oddy strips the spaces of their power and context, revealing the intimate details that leave an impression on the viewer. Oddy invites us to meditate on how different types of architecture house different types of sensitive politics or contentious ideologies.
All images © Jason Oddy
