Disassembling gadgets and photographing them arranged in a neat way is the new geek porn. Almost every new camera, iPhone, Galaxy and why do I need this gadget gets this treatment which usually results in a beautiful OCD-ish photograph. Here are a few samples by Todd Mclellan, Martin Kozák and Kelly Hofer.
But what about the old gadgets, the long forgotten ones, the dial phone, the original Sony Walkman?
Photo editor Gabriel Menashe does just this. He gives those old gadgets a new life as photographs of neatly arranged dissembled components. The project is called Taking Apart.
Gabriel shares how the process an item undergoes until it becomes a Taking Apart photo:
“Every Friday you can find me walking through the flea markets of my hometown, where I buy old items. Anything I buy has to meet the same criteria: It has to be a mechanical object comprised of several parts – and the more the merrier. It can be old phones, cameras or clocks, the possibilities are endless.
After I purchase an item it undergoes a thorough cleaning and then I photograph it as is. Then it is parked in its box, until I can find the time to take it apart, usually within a few days. Then, piece by piece, one bolt, spring and button at a time, I take it apart, careful not to break anything.”#
The photographs are taken in Gabriel’s back yard using this setup:
Here are more of Gabriel’s creations, can you find your favorite 80’s piece?
[Taking Apart | Gabriel Menashe]
