Industrial Landscape

[32BT]

Da Beat is running this ongoing project to document the local industrial activity in his hometown. Due to the economic structural make up of his homecountry, a lot of large warehousing has been build in the past couple of decades. These warehouses obviously look like dumb corrugated large boxes, and hence, they have now coined the term "boxification" for the effect on the industrial and urban landscape. So, yesterday Da Beat ventured out for some location scouting to find good examples to photograph.

While he did find great examples of boxification, none inspired him in a photogenic sense. What he did find though was this little nugget of industrial activity. It's a small-ish container terminal near several shipyards. (Another great photo-op). This is not of the size of the larger harbours in his country, but a great example of local activity. However, it is not local to his hometown, though he always thought it appropriate to extend the project nationwide.

It is merely a test shot, actually a 10k wide crop from a 20k wide panoshot. He is considering to go for a clear sky here. He likes the sort of colorful containerstacks. That crane btw is a beauty of its own with that winding stairs and large pully. The view is well accessible and would be nicely lit by a late afternoon sun.

[32BT]

This would be an example of boxification. It is from a location in Da Beat's hometown but not a local company. It is from a company listed on the stockexchange. He decided to call this image "Exit Strategy". The doors are emergency exits, but the waterdrains make it look sort of like a map, a very simple map, like most businessplans describe a very simple “exit strategy” for potential investors: the stockexchange.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Love the second shot.

[RSL]

+1

[Rob C]

Industrial Art. Nice!

[Robert Roaldi]

There was a recent exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto featuring impressionist paintings of industrial locations. Unfortunately, I couldn't make the trip, but it's possible that the collection will go on tour elsewhere. At least I'm hoping it will. The exhibit ended on May 5th, here is the linked page: https://ago.ca/exhibitions/impressionism-age-industry-monet-pissarro-and-more from the AGO web site.

[John R]

Love the second shot.

Same here.

JR

[32BT]

Yes, that second shot is a cool shot. It requires a flat gray sky with slightly misty conditions. (the overexposure-like purplish look is a result of an overprocessed singleshot jpg). While these conditions are not uncommon in Da Beat's home country, the company opposite this one needs to be closed on shooting day or the view turns into a parking lot.

One sunday with favourable weather conditions Da Beat finally thought he had a good opportunity for a high-res shoot. They recently cleaned the building too. (Notice the green moss?). So after managing to drag himself out of bed at a remotely acceptable time, when he did turn up the view was still a parking lot??? Turned out to be pre x-mass busy overtime hours. Aarrgghh.

[32BT]

Here is what will likely be the full pano shot. Imagine minus the UV haze and a clear, deep blue sky, printed at maybe 120cm wide.

Even in its current form though, it could be a sale. That's the interesting part about those local industrial activities. The owners are generally interesting people with fascinating founder's stories, and, because you picture their company, they are generally interested even if the result is not entirely optimal. That said: Da Beat will do his utmost to adhere to his vision and some reasonable quality standards. He has previously run into owners that also do photography, which can be considered a dangerous combination in its own right, because for obvious reasons they can afford better equipment than can Da Beat... (and equipment beats skillzzz as we all know).

And then there is the Fides. Who wouldn't want his/her ship/vessel pictured in full action... That's another sale right there. No need to accuse Da Beat of pessimism. :-)

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

There was a recent exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto featuring impressionist paintings of industrial locations. Unfortunately, I couldn't make the trip, but it's possible that the collection will go on tour elsewhere. At least I'm hoping it will. The exhibit ended on May 5th, here is the linked page: https://ago.ca/exhibitions/impressionism-age-industry-monet-pissarro-and-more from the AGO web site.

That’s utterly fascinating, Robert. For me, at least. I’ve been always wondering what prompts a painter to paint a particular scene. Is there a purpose? Or for gallery exhibition only? Who would buy and put on their wall a painting of a... train station? Unless you own it, operate it, or met the love of your life there.

Is there any art-historian or pshydhological work on artist motivation to pick a motif?