Unlike animals in the wild, we humans treat our dwellings as more than just simple shelters. Sure, they protect us from the wind, rain, and predators — but our houses are much more than that.
No matter their size or shape, houses are symbolic of the things we love, the people we are, and the hobbies we enjoy. Whether it's a house brimming with Coke products, or one drenched in Renaissance paintings, our homes are extensions of us.
Perhaps that's why abandoned homes are so intriguing. Like ghosts of the past, these empty houses no longer contain the life they once did — but they echo with the feelings left behind.
And, as proven by artist and explorer Ariston Santos De Leon, these abandoned homes have many wonderful — though sometimes sad — stories to tell.
Would you ever be interested in exploring an abandoned house? Let us know below, and please SHARE to help keep this fascinating old house alive!
When urban explorer Ariston Santos De Leon came across this abandoned house, he wasn't expecting to find anything inside.
The old house seemed completely barren. Only some broken furniture and tattered curtains had been left behind.
But as he delved further into the abandoned home, he began to find traces of life and personality.
"When we started to look through the house," Ariston explained in his online photo album, "we saw the life of a woman who lived alone towards the end of her life and small religious items all around."
"But it wasn’t until we started to look upstairs did we find one of the coolest finds behind a door and underneath stacks of old newspapers."
"We discovered a cache of old paintings, watercolors, sketches that gave us a clue about the previous owner."
"The vibrancy, the simplicity, and the details told us the woman was a happy, cheerful, meticulous person."
They found charcoal portraits, watercolors, still-lifes, sketches... All left behind with her colorful clothes and shoes.
"It does make one wonder why things that may cost more money are taken out of homes like these — and sentimentally-priceless items like art are left behind," wrote Ariston.
Many fans of Ariston's urban exploration photography wondered where the artist's family was, and why the art was left unclaimed.
As one commenter wrote, "She was very talented, and what a tragedy for her work to be as forgotten as that home."
Another viewer asked why Ariston didn't rescue the art himself. As he explained, "I thought about taking it, but it's not mine."
"I hope her family [will] come back and find it neatly stacked on the floor and decide they want to keep it."
But in case the family never returns, at least these photographs have captured her vibrant art forever. Now, her work can be shared with everyone around the world.
Please SHARE if you think this artwork should be kept and remembered forever!
