Image via Complex Original
Despite all the hype and Mayan calendar-based predictions, the world didn’t end in 2012. However, that hasn’t stopped many artists from foreshadowing the impending destruction of the planet through frightening graphics and dark photography.
From historic landmarks submerged in flood water to entire cities demolished by fire and lightning, these are some of the best examples of artists' creations that imagine the end of the world. These 20 frightening depictions will force you to really appreciate life as you know it, that is, without zombies and mega tornadoes. Here are 20 Terrifying Images That Imagine the End of the World.
Artist: Tokyogenso
Tokyo is known for its efficient rail system and crowded train stops, but we can't expect even the biggest and baddest structures to survive the end of the world. Tokyogenso's unnerving depiction of an abandoned Tokyo train station makes us wonder what will actually be left standing come Judgment Day.
Artist: Vladimir Manyuhin
Vladimir Manyuhin's frightful depiction of one of America's most beloved cities inspires interesting ideas about the post-apocalyptic world. The scene of a family of lions peacefully dwelling amongst the high grass and vegetation of the abandoned streets of New York suggest a new age following Armageddon.
Artist: Isaac Cordal
If you've ever envisioned a post-apocalyptic universe in which you were the only human who survived, artist Issac Cordal has brought that nightmare of yours to life with this project. This particular scene fully grasps the idea of a world in which a small few survive and are cursed to live the rest of their lives in isolation. Although there are discernable figures in the backdrop, they're blurred so your eye is only drawn to the center figure of a meek, old man clutching his briefcase.
Artist: BBDO and Proximity Asia
CarbonStory, a crowd funding platform for climate change projects, recently hired creative agency BBDO and Proximity Asia Design to design an interactive website that graphically portrays the reality of climate change. “World Under Water” depicts one of the most feared aftereffects of global warming: rising sea levels and the resulting submergence of the world's most beloved cities and metropolises. Here, flooding covers the once bustling streets of London.
Artists: Vitaliy Vasilieva and Elena Vasilieva
Before creating their latest post-apocalyptic photo series, Ukrainian photographers Vitaliy Vasilieva and Elena Vasilieva imagined icons of architecture meeting their end. Here’s the Guggenheim Museum teetering over the edge of a cliff, just waiting for the right wind to send it crashing down. Destruction of the planet means destruction of civilization and all art, technology, and innovation associated with it.
Artist: Michal Zak
This graphic done by Michal Zak shows a once-thriving Moscow as it goes up in flames. The realistic quality of the fire along with the swirl of color used to create a bleak, sunless sky makes the depiction of the destruction of one of the world's most historic cities awfully disturbing.
Artist: Giacomo Costa
Giacomo Costa is clearly not concerned with the survival of the human race come Earth's destruction. He's made peace with the fact that we all won't live past the first wave of zombie attacks. However, what better way to show his hope that nature won't perish in the catastrophe than a massive, towering tree smack in the middle of a devastated city.
Artist: Jiang Pengyi
This installation of a shattered metropolitan landscape is not only bleak, it truly captures the sense of nothingness that we all have nightmares about. Moreover, Pengyi's decision to use a battered, abandoned building as the backdrop for his miniature scene magnifies this empty feeling.
Artist: Mediamaster
Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice, but clearly DeviantArt extraordinaire Mediamaster favors the heat. His depiction of Rio de Janeiro being bombarded with an endless free fall of flaming rock appears frighteningly real.
Artist: Lori Nix
This miniature version of a chillingly deserted library is enough to make you appreciate your local library because it definitely won't be left standing when the world ends. Nix's photograph highlights the tiny details of the diorama, like the tattered walls, sunken bookshelves, and dilapidated ceiling with an ominous sky peering through.
Artist: Kimotaker
In this apocalyptic graphic, cities and whole continents collide. The artist added to the image's morbid effect with somber colors like blue and dark grey.
Artist: Tokyogenso
This image by Tokyogenso shows the city of Tokyo sunken underwater like the legendary Atlantis. We see how water washed away one of the world's most historic metropolises.
Artist: Etwoo
Etwoo's post-apocalyptic depiction of the Pentagon reminds us that not even the most powerful military force in the world can stop the Earth's ultimate destruction.
Artist: Vladimir Manyuhin
Vladimir Manyuhin's detailed depiction shows that even treasured sites like Vatican City wouldn't survive Armageddon. Although it's clear through the scattered rubble and wondrous citizens portrayed in the scene that the city was completely devastated, Manyuhin also shows onlookers a glimmer of hope, along with religious undertones, with the parting of the sky and the narrow shower of sunlight.
Artist: Michal Zak
Michal Zak's graphic series “The End of Eternity” is a collection of his artistic interpretations of some of the world's most lively cities, post-apocalypse. This depiction of a devastated Berlin submerged in debris, blanketed in smoke, and marked by battered skyscrapers and railcars shows he has no hope that even his hometown would survive the end of all humanity.
Artist: Steve McGee
Imagine all of New York's iconic taxicabs and beloved food trucks being swept away in a humongous tsunami. McGee's depiction of the apocalypse's affect on Manhattan resembles a frayed photograph from the 1970s, while the morbid coloring of the image leaves viewers with little hope the city will survive the monstrous wave.
Artist: AndreeWallin
Tornadoes have been known to be deadly, scooping up cars, homes, and cows in the their paths. This apocalyptic graphic shows that come Judgment Day, bizarre weather phenomena will totally destroy life as we know it.
Artist: Roeyl
As this whirlwind of fire and lightning devastates a city, we are left wondering if the ultimate end will be as quick as this explosion.
Artist: Sony
Here’s Beloved Brighton Pier abandoned and broken down.
Artist: Lucaszoltowski
This artist's graphic is one of the most disturbing and dark depictions of a post-apocalyptic Earth that we've seen. Through the dark, eerie smoke you can't tell if the figures are surviving humans or aliens that aided in the destruction of our planet.