by Editor Jane Lyons 
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 20st of March 2026

"I have always looked upon decay as being just as wonderful and rich an expression of life as growth."
~Henry Miller~

“Under all the layers is you” by Gaby Grohovaz

As many photographers have discovered, beauty can be found in the most unexpected places, especially when materials or subjects bear the marks of time. The visual evidence of ageing — oxidation, fractures, peeling, fading, erosion and cracking — produces original aesthetics layered with the texture of time itself.

Visually, decay provides an authentic history, contrasting with newness to create an additional layer of meaning and significance. Through photography, decayed objects can be transformed into contemporary art by isolating and repurposing colour, line, shape and texture.

The archives at 1x contain some wonderful photographs that are the best examples of decay's transformative power, and the photographer Þorsteinn H. Ingibergsson has created a wonderful portfolio devoted solely to decay in his native Iceland. There are countless other artists who find beauty in the random abstraction of decay and time.

“The Red Door -Old Jaffa” by Arnon Orbach

“Rusty Castle” by Hans-Wolfgang Hawerkamp

“Rusty” by Jimmy Hoffman

“Perception” by Delphine Devos

“Sunset-Acre” by Arnon Orbach

“lonely bird” by Jan Donckers

“windows” by Rolf Endermann

Untitled by basri-eli

“..” by Harry Verschelden

“Red and Rusty” by Þorsteinn H. Ingibergsson

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic that celebrates imperfection, transience, and incompleteness. It honours the 'patina' that objects acquire over time, viewing age as a source of character rather than a defect. It celebrates asymmetry, roughness, rust, and dents; the results of age and decay. 

“Artistic rusty look” by Greetje Van Son

“bouquet of industry” by Holger Droste

“Fall of Liberty” by Øyvind Gregersen

“one way (shadows)”  by Dalibor Davidovic

Rust is not just a sign of decay; it is a testament to time. The accumulation of its flakes, colour variations, distortions, pits and bubbles is like a visual archive, with each mark shaped by air, moisture and exposure, quietly recording the passage of years.

“Sharp shadows” by Bruno Flour

“Façade - Porto Portugal by Arnon Orbach

“Texture 04” by Pictufy Studio lll

The concept of decay carries with it a sense of time and meaning that can be translated into a contemporary language by photography. These images of rust and decay can be displayed in old and new interiors as original works of art.

“Faded Glory” by Michael Zheng

“Bad” by Barbara Orienti

“3/3” by Ramiz Sahin

“Rusted” by Ugur Erkmen

“White horse in a war zone” by Saad Salem

“Vintage II” by Asmaa ElTouny

Just as corroded metal reveals the history of its environment, the ageing human face reveals a life lived over time, marked not by loss, but by accumulation, wisdom, and, hopefully, love.

“white age. madam W” by Nicoleta Gabor

“I am against nature. I don't dig nature at all. I think nature is very unnatural.
I think the truly natural things are dreams, which nature can't touch with decay.”
~Bob Dylan~

“31” by Filipe P Neto