Brendon Burton’s Enigmatic Photographs Preserve Traces of North American Life

As Brendon Burton continues to pursue the strange corners of rural North America, the Portland-based photographer has discovered a newfound interest in the people who once inhabited them.

No longer entirely devoid of human figures, his isolated landscapes step into the walls of abandoned homes and provide a setting for enigmatic narratives. Burton’s quiet introduction to life through the presence of domestic, intimate objects allows the viewer to piece together a speculative story about their previous owners.

a photograph by Brendon Burton of the inside of an old living room with a reclines, blue wallpaper, and an old TV, V.

From a pair of worn boots and aged portraits to a patterned quilt resting upon a bed that was once made for the last time, photography introduces an element of permanence, preserving existence while original context has long faded away.

Burton has turned to direction and video of late, working on five music videos slated to release within the next few months. He has also published a second edition of his book, Epitaph, which you can pick up on his website. Follow Burton on Instagram to tag along on his travels and adventures.

a photograph by Brendon Burton of a treehouse oi the lush forest

a photograph by Brendon Burton of a horse grazing on a mountain at dusk

a photograph by Brendon Burton of a poster of deer pinned to the wall next to a table of a framed Foster Home License, photos, an old trophy, and mugs.

a photograph by Brendon Burton of a derelict church standing alone

a photograph by Brendon Burton of a bed, nightstand, lamp, and two window panes in a bedroom

a photograph by Brendon Burton of an abandoned house and car visibly consumed by the vegetation around it

a photograph by Brendon Burton of a bedroom, the wall ripped open to the outside

a photograph by Brendon Burton of a derelict house standing alone in plains

a photograph by Brendon Burton from the driver's seat inside a car. a man stands in front of the car, his head lined up visually with a bullet hole in the windshield. a derelict house stands in the background

a photograph by Brendon Burton of fiver deer scampering across a flat, grassy area with a snow-capped mountain in the background

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