coal fired power plant with scrubbers
power plant machinery
release of steam
lake dam
drainage way
Taking notes from Naoya Hatakeyama a Japanese photographer who finds beauty in recognizing human impact on nature. I reinterpreted his work into sites around Stillwater, Oklahoma that represented the destruction of nature by humans from a coal fired power plant, to trash found amongst drainage ways. I aspired to make these objects beautiful in order to show the meaning of landscape when all of it is affected by humans. Each of these locations are specifically important to me as my father works at this power plant and has been for 26 years. I remember him coming home covered in coal in my early years from him driving to provide for my family. He has taught me so much in terms of energy and the many steps it takes to be sustainable. From the failure and destruction of wind turbines, to the inefficiency and environmental degrading materials of solar panels. We have a long way to go before we can remove fossil fuels from the energy grid. Instead, look at your own energy use and consider how each individuals consumption could reduce grid stress. Sacrificing comfort for the environment may be an answer we all need. The drainage way was once a fun place to play as a child as my sisters played softball at neighbors fields, now over taken by trash left behind. Each object is made beautiful by nature, either by a sunset, geese finding refuge, or plant growth reclaiming space.