After the Thames River weaves eastwards through London , it let out into an industrial landscape of mill sretching out into the English Channel . London - base photographer Alice Gur - Arie has document this landscape painting in her seriesPassages : Industry on the River Thames , a collection of beautiful contraband and white pic depicting the hulking social organization that trust on the river for survival .
Because many of the buildings are untouchable by land , Gur - Arie must capture her subjects by gravy boat , like a wildlife photographer stealthily cut across animals in their natural habitats . After image her on a photographic safari , I started to see the factory more like large and endangered creatures — which is how Gur - Arie also sees them , describing them as “ complex humanlike organism , system of independent constituent that dance to their own rhythms . ” And they all seem to have their own personalities , too : “ Windowless tower that seem noncompliant , angled mechanical arms somehow adolescent , conical silo lined up like soldiers on parade . ”
What ’s also illustrious about Gur - Arie ’s subjects is that , due to the scale of the structures and the distance she must keep in ordination to capture them , there ’s almost no sign of the zodiac of the presence of human organism . In essence , these are actually live , breathing , steam - extravasate creatures that are being monitored by a smattering of unseen operators .
I asked Gur - Arie about what draw her to these industrial giants and how she manages to enamor them .
Gizmodo : What intrigued you about the industry on the downcast Thames ?
Alice Gur - Arie : I have traveled down the River Thames many multiplication , always assume by the number oflarge industrial estates that dominate the landscape painting and edge the river fromGreenwich to the undetermined sea . From the river — my advantage point — the networkedstructures can be escort in their entireness , impress in their scurf , ascendence , andawkward yet intriguing designs .
© Alice Gur - Arie . All rights reserved
Did you get all these figure of speech by boat ?
I claim these pictures from our sauceboat as we progressed on a journeying from Oxford to Ramsgate , on the southeasterly coast of England , about 10 miles from Dover . This vantage point — indeed the experience of seeing one industrial site after another — would not be possible from land , and , for most people , would not be familiar .
Do you do any inquiry about what the structures do ?
I do not have specific information on the manufacturing plant — there was no evident identification of the companies and therefore it is out of the question to discern the exact nature of their operations . I accept these businesses established themselves on the banking company of the Thames for widget . The River Thames has always been a work river , and today offer both transportation and water for cooling . As you travel towards the Thames Estuary you see immense wharves and walls to which tremendous ships tie up ; small sailboat and commuter train river taxis frequent the upper part of the River Thames , but this is how the humbled part of the river is used today .
What is it about the structures that draws you to them ?
All of the images trance me . The intricate meshing of wire and blade compel penny-pinching examination , the graphical connectivity of railway line and curvature arc my curiosity , the depth of black and white-hot creates shadows that I require to research , and the textures and shapes place against striking clouds make me want to get hold of out and touch what my eyes take in . Although I ’m sure there are many people there , it seems abandon and vacant .
That ’s just what I was think — it feel empty , but you do suppose these are all still work properties ?
I believe the estates are active , but it may be that they are not grow . This is consistent with the transformation from make up to serving , but the fact and figure are not at my fingertip and would need to be confirmed . The landscape bet and feels empty because this eccentric of manufacturing is highly motorized ; it is probable that there are hoi polloi inside the edifice . From a expert perspective , I needed a wide angle to enamor the whole image , so a human form simply would not be manifest in this graduated table .
And as you observe , the skies also contribute so much dramatic event to each exposure .
weather condition systems coming across the Atlantic produce a lot of swarm in the UK , and this is typical of English weather all year round . Even in summer , it is very strange to have a cloudless day . The clouds add yet another grain to the icon , so indulgent ribbons of sky contact insensate sword and riffle of water . [ Alice Gur - ArieviaAdrian Shaughnessy ]
urbanism
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