Industrial landscapes - 'blots on the horizon'? Eccentric characters, out of place? Beacons slotted in to the environment, to provoke?
As with all things, it depends on the eye and on the perception.
for me, there is a certain beauty in line, texture and contrasts within industrial landscape. I am fascinated into photographing industrial scenes. Sometimes, I capture them in oils, or in poetry.
My initial fascination was awakened by Stephen Spender's poem 'Pylons'. Phrases such as - 'Bare like nude giant girls that have no secret,' - 'Like whips of anger' - 'the quick perspective of the future.' - 'So tall with prophecy' - 'Dreaming of cities'
Pylons were considered rather shocking when they first appeared.
Later, in Philip Larkin's 'The Whitsun Weddings' the fleeting descriptions of 'passing' industrial landscape mirrored my journeys between London and Newcastle upon Tyne.
I leave you with some tasters and welcome your comments.
Wreck
Redundant hulk, with open sores
and porthole eye that's weeping rust,
dies at the jetty-edge of a tidal inlet
where salt water slaps the shore and
bladder wrack's globular gleam reflects
the glinting sun. A landed whale of a
tug, angled against mountain backdrop,
left to rot.
No glare of oxyacetylene torch, nor roar;
no dead ring of sheet metal nor sound
of rivets driven firmly home can
replace your fabric. The shipyard gate is
locked, welders gone. Skills rusting,
they too sit out their time.
.JPG)
