Some of my favorite 19th-century paintings are those depicting mythological creatures (primarily fauns and satyrs) dancing amidst Roman ruins, presumably after downing several skins of plummy wine. So it follows that I’m also a big fan of artists like Harald Finster, whose focus is on the ghostly remnants of industry. His must-be-seen latest work has focused on abandoned collieries and steel plants throughout northern Europe; the picture atop this post is of a cooling tower at a desolate Dortmund steel mill.
My favorite Finster work, however, may be his series on the Overburden Conveyer Bridge F60, arguably the largest movable machine ever made by man. It was once used to excavate coal from the Lusatian countryside; it’s now a tourist attraction, for those curious geeks eager to see a metal structure even bigger than the Eiffel Tower.
Finster’s series on the bridge is here. And there are satellite photos, too.
Jordan // Apr 3, 2009 at 1:30 am
I’m from Seattle and one of the city parks is built around an old gasification plant. Some sections are fenced off, but there’s a main area that had a roof built over it. All of the machinery inside was repainted in bright colors:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gas_Works_Park_12.jpg
It’s a pretty amazing place when you’re a kid. Unfortunately it’s almost all covered in pigeon crap because the roof provides a rather tempting place to roost.
Brendan I. Koerner // Apr 3, 2009 at 10:48 am
Wow, this looks great. I’ve long been attracted to Z-grade action flicks in which the finales take place in steam-filled factories. (See: Commando, which holds up not at all.) I can only imagine the good times a young’un would have playing amidst the post-industrial detritus.
An Iron Horse for the Ages // Jun 17, 2009 at 10:47 am
[…] where the substances that make modern life possible are extracted from the ground. We’ve previously posted about one such device, an abandoned component of a German coal-mining operation. Today we’d […]
Harald Finster // Aug 13, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Hi,
just came across your blog. (Actually I was looking for stolen images via google reverse image search.) I appreciate your kind words on my photography very much! Thanks!
Harald
Brendan I. Koerner // Aug 14, 2011 at 10:51 am
@Harald Finster: Thanks so much for stopping by, Harald. Very much looking forward to your next projects.