Within the Anthropocene topic, I studying many different artists work to get an in-depth understanding of the different perspectives and opinions on these geographic and environmentally-concerned approaches. This consisted of the work of Ansel Adams, Edward Burtynsky, George Marazakis, Joe Deal and Bernd and Hilla Becher. By studying through their great compilations of research and images of the nature of the Anthropocene, I was enabled to find my own ideas on how to represent this issue. However, my work was especially inspired by the work of George Marazakis in ‘A Cure for Anthropocene’ alongside Bernd and Hilla Becher within their work on Typologies, investigating an industrial environment. Not only did these artists intrigue me, but I really enjoyed the way that they both look at Anthropocene from entirely different perspectives – George Marazakis looking at desolation and decay whilst Bernd and Hilla Becher document the fast paced urbanization stemming from industrialisation.

GEORGE MARAZAKIS:

As one of my first artist references, I came across George Marazakis and selected him specifically based on the nature of this derelict greenhouse. I felt that this was an extremely great representation of how it isn’t just the compacted cities receiving backlash from climate degradation, it’s also these rural areas which are scarce, forgotten about and become consumed by nature warping around the structure, mostly due to society progressing through the years at such a fast rate that the area/ structure is no longer needed yet still leaves a mark and impact on the environment around it, restricting growth and areas for ecosystems to thrive in. I also selected this as one of my main references within my work because I felt that the muted colour scheme showed the death and decay that the world is under, however remains unnoticed and ghostly.

This was my first attempt at the recreation of his image, my initial plan was to use artificial lighting alongside coloured gels to idolise the sunset in George Marazakis image, shining through the greenhouse and outlining the desolation from within – plants twisting and winding alongside the stains from dirt wiped down the windows. However, this didn’t particularly go to plan due to the light not being as great and powerful as the one George Marazkis used.

However:

In light of my initial image not working, I decided to take this idea of derelict greenhouses and move towards taking images of those which had appeared more violent in contrast with George Marazakis image:

Whilst these were relatively different from George Marazakis work, I still feel that there is a correlation between them through the untended growth of weeds, sand and dirt. I also feel this still has a correlational aspect through the areas which involve decay, whether that be through the streaks painted across what is left of the greenhouse or in the dried up patches of dirt smeared across the ground, a likely area where chemicals have been placed and cause the refusal of seeds growing there. If I were to use George Marazkis’ work again within this project, I would have liked to have potentially found an alternative way to recreate his sunset-reflection of the greenhouse if I were able to find an appropriate location which was more similar to his. Alongside this, I would have liked to incorporate some of his other images in areas such as the sand dunes as I feel that these could’ve provided greater representation of how climate degradation impacts rural, countryside locations and not just urban areas. Whilst Marazakis’ image is muted and ominous, mine has reacted in a more violent and aggressive way, however I feel that this may represent the anger many people feel about approaching a point that could result in practical ‘self-extermination’.

From this, I was able to explore the idea of desolation impacting the environment within the Anthropocene through the topic of abandoned structures, forced to be home to an overgrowing population of plants due to them being restricted from growing naturally because of the unused and ignored nature of the structure:

BERND AND HILLA BECHER:

In an early introduction to landscape photography, I looked into Bernd and Hilla Becher’s work on Typologies, documenting the industrialised structures to address the effect of the industry on the economy and the environment. When we moved towards Anthropocene, I wanted to include aspects of their work into my images because through the anonymity and use of dead-pan shooting, I felt that this was a stern message about the fast pace at which society progresses, producing more and more materials by using harmful chemicals and techniques.

I feel that there is a strong correlation between my work with Bechers’ due to the strong industrial tone set throughout. Whilst I didn’t use the deadpan approach like their work, I still feel that this as worked very well due to the angles from a distance, below, and in-line with these industrial structures as it made the natural hit off of the metal in the perfect angle for me to capture it with a glowing effect following along the building. I created virtual copies of them in colour alongside a monochrome format so that not only was this burst of light and colour more visible but they still were established with the black and white aesthetic that Bernd and Hilla Becher used within their typologies. In future if I had ever used Bechers’ typologies again, I would have liked to be able to get some deadpan images of the act of industrialisation because I feel that these would have been a more minimalistic approach to Anthropocene that could have been really powerful. Through this, I then had the ability to represent the dynamic which society progresses and how this constant deconstruction and reconstruction of areas has severe impacts on the planet.

Overall:

Overall, I am really happy with the artists references I chose and the images in which I selected as inspiration as not only did they help me to produce images that followed the Anthropocene in a thoughtful way, but they also enabled me to come up with ideas of my own and develop them – for example, my initial ideology behind using George Marazakis’ image didn’t work how I intended, however this led me onto shooting greenhouses from a contrasting perspective as well as investigating abandoned buildings and structures around the island.

I conducted a small final photoshoot using the studio as a finishing response to water pollution in relation to microplastics and the consequences of plastic ending up in he ocean each day.

I looked through each image however some were very similar. I flagged the ones with the best composition and had the most focus on them. I wanted to use cling film and coloured gels to create an illusion of a beach, small and choppy waves created by plastic to symbolise how the ocean is filled with plastic, so much so that its impossible to see it with the naked eye. I also layered this over other rubbish made from cardboard and foil to give the illusion that this was being carried by the sea waiting to be consumed by an unknowing animal as this is something that happens everyday.

MY EDITS:

For these last two images, I chose to use filters used in roll-up cigarettes as smoking is a general and regular thing that millions of people across the world do multiple times a day, a huge factor towards air pollution that is normalised and thrown on the ground almost anywhere. I felt it was important to show this in the ‘sea’ because it is something that is so disregarded and contributes to waste and pollution in so many different forms.

I used Photoshop to create depictions of the past, the present (my edited image) and the future of the Anthropocene.

CITYSCAPES:

My original image:

I first experimented with my urban cityscape that I took from Fort Regent overlooking the town centre using the Generative Fill tool. This way, I could completely remove, add or change the landscape to show how this could be the future of the island if preventative action isn’t taken.

Then, I used generative fill again to show what this area would of looked like in the past to show the difference between these areas due to human action:

For this, I used Photoshop to arrange the images and then cropped it so that there were no surrounding borders, only a separation between the images.

TRIPTYCH:

For this triptych, I used a black background but kept a slight border at the top and bottom as I feel like the black compliments the images better this way. I created these using photoshop so that I can map out my final presentations.

GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENTATION:

My original image:

I completely removed the greenhouse and used the generative fill tool to create a depiction of how this area would look in the past, before the greenhouse was built here:

I made the area brighter through the sky and the tone of the grass to create a healthy and soothing ambience, what it would have been like years ago before pollution developed at such an alarming rate. I then used neural filters to show what the future holds for this greenhouse if it remains untouched, neglected and unloved:

I played around with a few of the filters and the strength of them until I found one that suited it. I wanted to use this at a reduced strength to show how it will become swarmed and taken over by the greenery surrounding, as if nature is taking back what is theirs. I think this also works well because it makes the appearance of the glass windows look dirtier, untouched and still for an extremely long time.

HOW I DID IT:

I used the rectangular marquee tool to select aspects of my image that I wanted to remove or alter, I had to b careful on how big or small I made it as everything within the rectangle selected would be changed.

I did this for every building or section of the image until I was happy with it, trying to ensure it isn’t too exaggerated as it should still look realistic.

Alongside this, I used the neural filters tool to transform the atmosphere of my entire image of the greenhouse:

I selected the landscape mixer Ai filter and played around with the different pre-sets until I came across one I liked. From here, I could alter the strength, time of day and season at which the image would be taken. I added this as a new layer one I was done.

In my final photoshoot I focused on the abandoned St Saviours Hospital that went out of use in 2014 as I felt this property was extremely relevant to my work on the Anthropocene.

St Saviours hospital is the modernised name of the institution that used to be known as the Jersey Lunatic Asylum – its name being this for nearly 100 years. Its foundation stone was laid on Saturday the 29th of July, 1865 after a long 20 years of the States being criticised for acknowledging that people with learning disabilities and mental health issues needed care in 1847, as this was a period of time where mental health was stigmatised and stereotyped into being clinically insane. Due to this, there was a large reluctance to building this property as a purpose-built asylum however the plans eventually came into play. Within this asylum, levels of care differed in copious amounts. For example, the less ‘severe’ patients would recieve the relatively highest amount of care that could be offered in this undeveloped medical period whilst those who suffered with greater mental health issues were ‘treated like animals’, kept in outhouses on the perimeter in appalling and inhumane conditions. Those who did not reside on the premises were sent to asylums off island in France or England, however others were kept within the General Hospital of which practiced as a poor house and hospital at the time.

Once the institution had been built, Dr John James Jackson was appointed as the Medical Superintendent in 1868, March 27th. This was when the first 12 patients become admitted from the General Hospital on the following months to come. Each year ‘inmates’ (as named by the press at the time) were taken out around the island to hold an annual picnic, an event that came across somewhat stiff and a rather militaristic affair, with the patients called back to their vehicles with a bugle call, at the sound of which they would all fall in.

Its name was changed to the Jersey Mental Hospital in 1952 and then again to St Saviour’s Hospital in 1963, however in 2014 its closure occurred due to a new premises being built with two wards consisting of 28 acute assessment and treatment beds. Here, patients finally became treated in a more caring and conscious way in comparison to its neighbours past.

The site now remains here desolate with its blank exterior sticking up out of the overgrown vegetation abandoned for decades, with several proposals for redevelopment of the site worth approximately £15 million.

MY PHOTOSHOOT:

I really wanted to photograph this site as I feel as if it shows a lighter side to the Anthropocene. What I mean by this is that the growth of this greenery over the eerily abandoned asylum shows that something beautiful can come from something that carries so much pain. Alongside this, I feel this is extremely representative of how these deserted properties and structures cause the natural landscape to move in an unruly manner, climbing over it due to it restricting the natures free and usual pattern of growth and forcing it to twist and turn in artificial ways due to this neglecting. I also think that it shows how humanity’s own ignorance prevails and projects into the plants, absorbing this neglecting and portraying this through their wild patterns.

I think the context behind this structure really adds a diffrent perspective towards the Anthropocene. Alongside this, as it was built in the 1800s, there is a clear difference in terms of aesthetics in comparison to neighbouring properties due to modernisation. For example, this was built using a brown and cream colour scheme, using granite bricks to build it. As well as this, the outhouses found have a similar enigmatic tone to them.

THE OUTHOUSES:

For my third photoshoot, I located my shoot in Grouville, St Saviours and St Helier. I sectioned this photoshoot into different aspects and environmental issues I wanted to concentrate on related to the Anthropocene.

LAND AND WATER POLLUTION:

WATER POLLUTION:

These two images were taken at Green Island beach in St Clements. I wanted to photograph this as I feel it is a subtle representation of the water pollution that is ignored in comparison to the more noticeable litter. Black sand is a common thing in places such as Hawaii, Iceland and the Canary Islands as these are areas with volcanic activity materials such as lava and basalt salts become eroded and filter in with the sand.

However, this is still found in areas located around the UK, for example Somerset, where there is no volcanic activity. This is the result of coal mines and seams being washed up from the Welsh side of the channel in the Severn Estuary. The waves pick this up and churn it ashore, with higher levels of it turning up in stormy conditions which is very toxic to aquatic life. In my image, it has ended up being trapped within a rock pool, inhabiting animals homes.

LAND POLLUTION:

In these last two images, I placed some seaweed inside the crisp packet and made it look as if it was growing from out of the bag. I did this because I feel as if it represents how the plastic produced which ends up in the ocean ends up restricting the growth of plants and ecosystems. Alongside this, I feel as if this symbolises how the consistent use of single use plastic is eventually going to be within everything we have, for example within the soil of which plants grow out of, because the micro plastics cannot decompose fully and therefore it cannot ever fully disappear in the natural environment.

DERELICT GREENHOUSES:

I came across a site of numerous derelict greenhouses. They were quite battered and broken, assuming this is not only due to the long period of time they have been sat here but due to Storm Ciaran too. The areas were either extremely overgrown inside with stinging nettles and other weeds or the ground had been reduced to dirt, unable to grow any plants due to synthetic fertilisers causing the roots to decay.

There was a large amount of fly-tipping and dumped appliances within some of these greenhouses, starting from ovens and freezers to live wires or farming equipment. These were scattered across the greenhouses in a careless manner

In this image, I used the two greenhouses as leading lines to direct the viewers eyes down towards an abandoned and old-fashioned blue car. This car had gathered a lot of rust from the multiple years it has been sat here.

URBANIZATION AND OVERPOPULATION:

I took these images from Fort Regent carpark, overlooking the town centre of St Helier. I thought this would be a good representation of how packed this area is, especially at certain busy times of the day such as 5pm. As you can see, there are numerous cars on the road, all contributing to the air pollution.

The result of this urbanisation means that there is a lack of greenery in this area, a few trees and bushes in the centre will large hills in the distance behind these modernised structures. Alongside this, there is a partial viewpoint of the harbour, of which the sand inside has been discoloured due to boats engines polluting this area when the tide comes in.

I set my photoshoot based around Bouley Bay, St Johns and Trinity as these areas are north to Jersey in comparison to my other photoshoot located more towards the south-east. Many of my images were similar to each other so I colour-coded them after editing to make it clear.

In this photoshoot, I sectioned my images into different themes so that I could get a wide range.

DERELICT GREENHOUSES:

I took images of this neglected greenhouse located in St Johns in inspiration of George Marazakis image of ‘A Cure For Anthropocene’ as the use of mechanical and chemical-based farming means that they are no longer in use as human development has leaned more towards using synthetic fertilizer.

EXPERIMENTATION:

For this image, I got to a lower angle to capture grass within the foreground to replicate George Marazakis camera angle when shooting his images.

I chose to shoot an up close image of a singular plastic chair in the centre of this dirty neglected greenhouse as I feel it represents how plastic is one of the leading causes of decay in the environment, standing alone in the middle of this destruction.

CONSTRUCTION:

In this image, there is a clear wipe out of anything natural, replaced with a monotone silver spread across the image. The natural light of the sunset reflects off of this metallic composition really nicely alongside the sky.

I took this image of a pile of construction materials scattered across the entire image as if they had been thrown there in a careless manner, allowing for a high amount of definition and vibrancy to catch the eye in an artificial colouring. In the background, there is a small amount of grass being toppled on, showing how this constant need of building, updating and redeveloping natural spaces presses down on any piece of natural space left.

In this image, I pointed the camera slightly down to capture the wheel of a vehicle behind some wooden palettes and broken plastic. I wanted to shoot this image as I feel that it carries a destructive tone within it, especially due to the sharp and violent way the black pieces of what appears to be plastic is thrown into a bucket, pointing in every direction to add a sense of danger.

This image consists of many brightly coloured gas canisters placed in a formal way, waiting to be released into the atmosphere to contribute to global warming even more.

I shot this image as I wanted to capture how these building materials had been thrown onto the grass causing it to become destroyed as its dragged across. I feel that this image shows the carelessness that humanity gives towards the natural landscape as it is clear these materials have been put here without a second thought.

In the foreground, the grass has been reduced to dry dust crumbling on the floor due to the hard slabs being placed upon these wooden palettes. I shot this image as I thought the way the healthy green bushes were bordered off from the now decayed dirt contrasted really well together and symbolised how one day, that’s all it will be.

I thought that the composition of this image worked really well as the sun doesn’t focus on any of the unnatural, man-made materials thrown around on the gravel, just focusing on nurturing the singular tree in the background.

ABANDONED STRUCTURES:

I took these images at the abandoned Bouley Bay hotel. These areas were boarded up and covered with urban graffiti, there was a large amount of dirt and rust stuck to the entirity of this structure to show its age. This area was located next to a alrge cliff edge which I wanted to capture alongside a large amount of destroyed palm trees and posion ivy.

I took a photoshoot based in the area of St Clements near a few farms. I colour-coded my best images and edited them in a more detailed way. Some required more than others.

Whilst I was walking I came across an abandoned van that appeared to have been vacant for a long period of time. It had been vandalised quite badly however a thick blanket of greenery remained around it and looked as if it was slowly creeping inside as if it was trying to take over:

My first image is of the exterior of the van submerged in a large growth of weeds in the centre of the field. I wanted to shoot this image as I think that the greyscale look of the van has a high contrast against the greenery and accentuates it to appear more vibrant. I feel that this is a good example of how the abandonment of property and structure causes the natural landscape to grow around and within it, restricting it from truly moving freely and thrive as an ecosystem.

My second image is taken from inside of the van through one of the many smashed windows, looking onto the large mound of thorns. I wanted to shoot this image because I feel that it allows to see from a perspective that areas like this often are taken advantage of and forgotten about when it is right in front of us. I feel as if it symbolises that we should open our eyes more to acknowledge great natural spaces like this and how so much time is spent indoors when areas like this exist just outside the window.

In this image, I chose to position my camera diagonal to the drivers seat of the van in order to capture the entire area of plants behind. In this image, the drivers door is open, allowing the plants to struggle to creep in as there is nowhere else for them to go due to the restriction. I feel like the way the windshield is smashed symbolises how careless and reckless humanity is about the environment, crashing into this field through ignorance.

For this image, I rested my camera on the top of the leant back passengers seat to get a shot through the other smashed window. I chose to capture the high rise flats looking through the window peeking behind the greenery because it shows the urbanisation that takes over these great areas for a higher amount of housing.

This image is adjacent to the headlights of the van, facing towards two abandoned horses carts used for transporting them from farm to farm. I chose to shoot this as I wanted to include different pieces of abandoned property scattered around the greenery, poking out from behind. I like this image as the foreground consists of this bright crowd of plants however the trees in the background are sparse with leaves, bare and dull.

For this image, I used the rule of thirds to shoot 3 urban buildings poking out from behind the weeds and trees. I feel as if this represents the way that urbanisation is taking over, so much so that this natural space most likely won’t exist in a few years due to the forthcoming building plans that will be bound to come.

I wanted to shoot this image as I really liked the composition – the way the poison ivy is creeping down this eroded granite wall as these limestone and granite walls are everywhere to be seen in Jersey, something made from a natural resource that formed around 400 million years ago.

One of the main focuses and aspects I want to involve in my photoshoot on Anthropocene within Jersey is the way that man-made structures restrict the growth and nurturing of the natural landscape alongside the ecosystems that reside there. Alongside this, I would like to demonstrate how the fast pace of human development not only adds to this issue (e.g. disregarded, abandoned structures mean that plants cannot thrive in or around this area, causing them to dry out and die or swarm the structure and take over in an unnatural way), this increases the amount of waste production. Another issue I would like to address within the Anthropocene is pollution:

• Air pollution
• Water pollution
• Land pollution (e.g litter in town centres)

By doing this I hope to highlight how using man-made products/services for personal gain produces a selfish and harmful effect on the world in hundreds of different ways. This way, I’m pointing out the subtle problems that we walk by every single day nonchalantly when realistically, these factors build up and combine to damage the world as we stand by without realization.

1

The first aspect I would like to photoshoot the derelict greenhouses located in the more rural/ countryside areas of the Island, for example in St Clements:

I am going to take inspiration from this image in George Marazakis work of ‘A Cure for Anthropocene’:

I am going to use artificial light e.g. from torches and get some of my friends to stand on the opposing side, behind the greenhouse. This way, the interior of the greenhouse will be reflected and visible through the glass to create an eerie yet mesmerizing feeling through the strange beauty of the shadows poking through. This way, not only will I be able to show more detail but I will be able to give the impression of a sunset/sunrise leaving it open to experimentation once I edit it in Lightroom.

The reason why I am taking this approach is also because derelict greenhouses around Jersey was used for tomato and potato farming around the island. However, due to mechanical and chemical-based farming, they are no longer in use as human development has leaned more towards using synthetic fertilizer. This is a technique that relies heavily on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to boost yields and control pests, which can have negative impacts on the environment and human health but produces higher yields in the short-term due to greed. This leaves the greenhouses vacant to catch dirt and sit there, not allowing the environment to thrive, instead forcing it to decay. On the 20th of January 2023, the Chief Minister stated:

“When glasshouses are redundant to the horticultural industry or are derelict, they should be removed, and the land restored to agricultural use,”

The current Bridging Island Plan, which covers 2022 to 2025, has a distinct policy on derelict and redundant glasshouses, which states that their redevelopment for non-agricultural use will not be supported. This means that the construction of more properties will be denied in order to salvage these spaces if they are truly redundant derelict greenhouses.

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The second way I would like to photoshoot the Anthropocene is pollution. In order to do this I am going to go into St Helier as this is the town centre and the most urban location on the island, being where the most people live. To look at land pollution I’m going to collect litter from my household, for example crisp packets and plastic bottles that I use. Then, I’m going to incorporate the natural landscape into it by photographing flowers and other plants coming out of the item which I am using. I would then like to piece this all together by placing it onto a black sheet and taking an image from above.

My concept behind this is to demonstrate how plastic is becoming more present within the natural landscape itself, being silently detrimental. For example, Fish in the North Pacific ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic each year. This causes intestinal injury and death, transferring plastic up the food chain to bigger fish and marine mammals. This results in a high percentage of microplastics being ingested by humans themselves due to the high content in the seafood being consumed. Whilst the accurate figure on how much plastic actually enters the ocean is uncertain, it is estimated that there are 100 million tonnes of plastic in oceans around the world.

This results in approximately 100 million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone, however many become trapped in the litter and get hurt alongside this in things such as beer tags, plastic water bottles and plastic bags. If a marine animal does become trapped in plastic, it has severe consequences of reduced mobility, starvation, drowning, or suffocation. Alongside this, it can cause the need for amputations, infections or growths, causing them to be less capable of finding food as well as being much more vulnerable to predators, causing an imbalance within the food chain. Animals often eat plastic because they are not always able to distinguish plastic from food. Organisms that are filter feeders (plankton, shellfish, baleen whales) or that live under the beach sand (lugworms) cannot make that distinction.

I would also like to highlight this issue because it demonstrates how the careless and selfish actions taken (littering and polluting the planet) has high consequences for humans themselves. Due to the high level of plastic in the ocean, this becomes consumed by an unknowing small fish, causing the microplastic ingested to travel up the food chain from prey to predator. Eventually, it reaches the seafood that we enjoy at home or in restaurants. In fact, studies have found that we eat about 52,000 particles annually, possibly 5 grams of microplastic per week – about the weight of a credit card. In 2022, it was found in a study that humans actually have microplastics in their blood due to high exposure to this pollution – 77% of people who were tested had microplastics in their bloodstream. This high hazard of mismanaged waste approximately kills 1 million people annually.

When plastics end up in the environment, they can bind with these pollutants, including persistent organic toxins such as PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) and dioxins, both of which are not only very resistant to degradation but can also accumulate in animal fats and tissues. This means that the plastic will not break down and decompose over time, only gets broken down into smaller and smaller pieces. However, the particles do not actually degrade.

“While I was photographing the landscapes affected by human interactions in the middle of natural spaces, the topography started looking like a body to me – like something with the early stages of psoriasis on its skin,”

George Marazakis was born in 1976 in Creta Island, Greece and currently lives with his wife and their son in Heraklion, Greece. He studied Mechanical Engineering and currently works for the Greek Ministry of Justice, however he shoots images relating to the Anthropocene in rural, vacant areas that have been abandoned by society in his work of ‘A Cure for Anthropocene’. These areas are scarce, forgotten about and become consumed by nature warping around the structure, mostly due to society progressing through the years at such a fast rate that the area/ structure is no longer needed yet still leaves a mark and impact on the environment around it, restricting growth and areas for ecosystems to thrive in.

Marazakis’ work contains an ominous tone brought along by a muted colour scheme that is grounded by a great clouds of mist and smoke overlooking the subject of his images, giving an extra terrestrial feeling. His images are taken in the Winter early mornings or late afternoon of Greece, dusk or dawn, so that the sky is reaching a pastel colour due to the sun either rising or setting out of the frame as it is uncommon for overcast days to appear here. This minimalistic viewpoint highlights the issue of air pollution, not just in urbanised locations but also the growth of it within the countryside, places which are idealised as areas of a country with the healthiest natural spaces. This is due to the rising growth in populations across the world meaning that there is a decline in housing available in city centres, so much that people are having to move further and further away from civilisation and taking over these ‘vacant’ areas. Alongside this, it demonstrates the critical issue of climate degredation in hopes of finding some sort of ‘cure’ to draw back all of the vast mistakes humanity has made over many years to try and guide the globe back to a healthier state.

“If human civilization is in fact a disease, then it can also be the cure. But if the cure to the planet’s disease isn’t self-restriction, it will result in self-extermination. After all, the salvation of the planet is a different concept than the salvation of humanity.”

Analysis of his work:

This wide-angled image taken on a large format camera is taken in the early morning when the sun is rising or when it is about to set, due to the gradually lightening blue above the greenhouse, giving an ombre effect. The orange glow behind the greenhouse appears like the orange of the sun however artificial light has also been placed on the opposite side to enhance this effect so that the detail inside is revealed at a higher contrast. The dead grass in the foreground shows how neglected this area is, the dullness contrasting against the colour in the sky above. Along the glass windows, there are subtle white streaks streaming down, showing that this greenhouse has been abandoned for a long period of time, getting dirtier and more neglected while it faces the elements. Within the greenhouse, there are large twisting figures, most likely left behind crops that had been planted and left behind. Traditionally, greenhouses were main sources of producing fruit and vegetables and were in use all over the world. However, due to the fast-pace at which new technologies are created, the use of greenhouses died out due to the rise in artificial processing and growth of vegetables and therefore left them abandoned. The loneliness of the image creates an ominous atmosphere for the viewer, creating a moment of peacefulness alongside impending anxiety of how quickly society moves on and progresses, faster than it ever has before.

This image has really intrigued me as I feel that it has a very different take on the Anthropocene – instead of showing these compact, busy, urbanised areas, Marazkis’ shows the abandoned and neglected side of it, the side that is acting like a silent killer and restricting nature from thriving. In one of my photoshoots, I would really like to focus my attention on this aspect of the Anthropocene, specifically the greenhouses of Jersey located in St Clements. Greenhouses used to be used frequently for growing Jersey’s tomatoes however have been left to blur into the background due to importation of goods from other countries becoming an easy route.

“My earliest understanding of deep time and our relationship to the geological history of the planet came from my passion for being in nature.”

Edward Burtynsky OC RCA, born February 22nd 1955 (aged 69), is a Canadian photographer and artist best known for his large format photographs of the industrialisation of natural landscapes. His work depicts the notably developed locations around the world which have been affected the most by human influence through things such as pollution, over-population and over-farming. He acts as an advocate for the urgent environmental conservation needed, deeply entwining his work with the scars left by industrial capitalism and vividly revealing the environmental devastation not only in remote areas but cityscapes too. Burtynsky’s work is most oftenly connected to the concept of the sublime, established by the grand scale he works on as well as the disturbing context of rapid industrialisation.

Born in St Catharines, Ontario, his father was a Ukrainian immigrant who sought employment from the largest production line at the time – General Motors. When Edward was just 11 years old, his father purchased a darkroom alongside cameras from a widow who’s late husband was an amateur photographer, sparking an interest in him as a young boy. Given rolls of Tri-X and adapting to black and white print, he began to photograph events and take portraits of people at his local Ukranian community centre. Gathering 50 cents from each image he took, he spent his time travelling along his hometown capturing the pristine landscapes of his childhood which would later lead him into his interest of the natural landscape of destinations around the globe. Continuing into his early career, he formally studied graphic arts and photography until he received his diploma in Niagara College in Ohio. Not initially considering to carry on down the path of higher education, he eventually led onto a four-year undergraduate course, receiving his Bachelors in Photographic Arts, Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Ohio, 1982. His earliest work resides in colour of locations across Ontario and Western Canada at the Ryerson’s university’s image centre. These images carry heavy influence from Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and Carleton Watkins. Some of his earliest original landscape photographs such as Landscape Study #1, North Carolina, USA (1979) and Landscape Study #2, Ontario, Canada (1981) served as portfolio submissions for Ryerson and displayed traces of his early exploration into the main themes of his work: human control over nature.

Now, Burtynsky used to take his photographs using a large format field camera before 2007 on large 4×5 inch sheet film, his editions ranging from 18 × 22 inches to 60 × 80 inches. Typically, his images are based at high-vantage points using natural topography, drones, helicopters or just elevated platforms. He currently uses a high-resolution digital medium format camera.

The Anthropocene Project:

The Anthropocene Project is a multidisciplinary body of work of three collaborating photographers: Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. Not only does it involve a photobook of the images which capture humanity’s scarring on the landscapes of the globe in a sublime nature, but includes a major travelling museum exhibition, a feature-length documentary film and an interactive educational website to raise awareness of the consequences of civilisations radicalised consumerism. This project was launched in September 2018, combining scientific research with art to capture the most spectacular evidence of human influence, while taking time to reflect on the deeper meaning of what these profound transformations signify.

“We hope to bring our audience to an awareness of the normally unseen result of civilization’s cumulative impact upon the planet. This is what propels us to continue making the work. We feel that by describing the problem vividly, by being revelatory and not accusatory, we can help spur a broader conversation about viable solutions. We hope that, through our contribution, today’s generation will be inspired to carry the momentum of this discussion forward, so that succeeding generations may continue to experience the wonder and magic of what life, and living on Earth, has to offer.” – Edward Burtynsky

His other exhibitions:

• 1983–1985 Breaking Ground: Mines, Railcuts and Homesteads, Canada, USA
• 1991–1992 Vermont Quarries, USA
• 1997–1999 Urban Mines: Metal Recycling, Canada Tire Piles, USA
• 1993–Carrara Quarries, Italy
• 1995–1996 Tailings, Canada
• 1999-2010 Oil Canada, China, Azerbaijan, USA
• 2000–Makrana Quarries, India
• 2000–2001 Shipbreaking, Bangladesh
• 2004–2006 China
• 2006–Iberia Quarries, Portugal
• 2007–Australian Mines, Western Australia
• 2009–2013 Water Canada, USA, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Iceland, India
• 2016 Salt Pans
• 2014–2018 Anthropocene

Analysis of his work:

Edward Burtynsky’s image Ivory Tusks was shot on April 25, Nairobi, Kenya, 2016. The ideology behind this image is burning ivory tusks in order to prevent poaches from killing wild animals such as rhinos and elephants to sell these tusks and profit from inhumane acts. In the image, several roaring orange flames are captured swaying to the right making the image have a murky auburn tone to the overall atmosphere, setting a tone of anger and frustration. It involves the nature of the sublime due to the dangerous yet somewhat beautiful formation of the flames. The image includes a lot of detail and colour, producing a motion blur through the use of a slow shutter speed on a large format camera. This forces the viewer to adamantly sit by and watch the consequences of humanity’s greed and feel the guilt of how extreme it has become. The clouds of smoke bring an ominous tone throughout the image, filling the dark night time sky with anger and mystery. This provides a soft flow in the air contrasted against the uneven gravel scattered across the floor, symbolising how the burning of the tusks releases the animals from the impending deaths they would’ve had.