Even though you've probably entered a movie theater countless times, odds are you have yet to really take in the beauty of the peculiar establishments. (For one thing, they're often dark by the time you get inside.) Photographer Frank Bohbot invades the everyday spaces on their off hours, camera in tow, capturing their astonishing and majestic beauty.
Bohbot's photos transform movie theaters from suburban destinations into temples of culture, their gaudy ornamentation becoming strangely regal and dignified without the presence of popcorn and coming attractions. Patterned carpets, velvet curtains and airbrushed ceilings acquire an uncanny elegance through Bohbot's lens. Combined with the eerie blankness of a white movie screen, the theaters appear almost like otherworldly monasteries.
With his project, Bohbot captures the unexpected beauty of these oft overlooked spaces, as well as their significance to digesting art in everyday life.
"Reflecting on the memories of the golden age of Hollywood, it gives the feeling that there is no such place like a movie theater to celebrate the birth of film from an artist," Bohbot wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. "The greatest emotion I have ever had in my life took place in the dark and not in front of a smartphone or television. I have decided to spotlight the grandiose movie palaces to the small independent movie houses."
This isn't Bohbot's first time illuminating the enchanting qualities of abandoned, everyday spaces. We've previously covered his work photographing carnivals, swimming pools and Parisian theaters. See more of Bohbot's work below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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