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These strange and alien lands have been captured by photographer David Maisel. The rough terrain and barren landscape looks as though it must have been captured by a super-telescope taking pictures of planets far, far away. The views are closer than they appear, however. The brilliant colors of the landscapes are not from another planet, and they are not altered images of this planet, either. David Maisel captured aerial views of landscapes that have been devastated by human endeavors in his project portfolio entitled “The Mining Project”. The idea for the project came about in 1983, as Maisel capturing photos of an old pit mine from above. He began to take pictures of other areas that had been laid barren by endeavors such as water reclamation and military testing. Maisel worked on this portfolio from 1987 to 2007, capturing twenty years of canyons and craters created by the hand of man. The result was an astounding series of images that portray an unexpected beauty. Maisel says that his project was not intended as a condemnation of any industry, but rather a contemplative look at the “…uncompromising realities of a flawed, complex world.” He uses the landscape as a sort of journal of the work of man, and without judgment, he documents the change.
Other Ghostly Endeavors
“The Mining Project” is not Maisel’s only work. Other projects include Mount Saint Helen, Library of Dust, and Oblivion. Library of Dust features pictures of decaying copper canisters. The canisters were taken from a state run psychiatric hospital, and contain remains of patients that were never claimed by family. Like the barren landscapes of “The Mining Project”, the photographs in “Library of Dust” are colorful and strangely full of life and beauty. The canisters decay in radiant reds, turquoise, royal blues, and browns. Maisel is currently working on his newest project, “History’s Shadow”. In this portfolio, Maisel re-photographs x-rays of archaic objects of art borrowed from the Getty Museum and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. X-rays are generally taken of ancient sculptures and busts to examine the pieces for cracks and flaws. These flaws are chronicled when the x-rays are re-photographed, and the prints take on a ghostly translucence, adding character to the finished project.
