These deliberately decayed finds epitomize the recent proliferation of macabre fixations in popular culture. Of course, morbid fascinations have been around virtually forever, but such inclinations and curiosities were usually relegated to the more taboo and subversive fringes of popular culture. The macabre examples featured here do not come from some circus freak show, grave robber's grizzly collection or questionably scientific laboratory; they come from more or less mainstream popular culture.
Whether it is a celebrity rendered as a zombie or a photo series of abandoned buildings, there has been a growing curiosity with decay recently. The fact that this is seen so acutely across genres as diverse as conceptual art, film, television and fashion, suggests that this theme cannot be exclusively attributed to the success of a few horror films and TV series, but rather is drawn from something deeper.
- Gen Z
- Gen Alpha
- Millennial (primary audience)
- Gen X (primary audience)
