Photography News Issue 40

Photography News | Issue 40 | absolutephoto.com

Interview Industrial Scars There is more than meets the eye in environmentalist and photographer J Henry Fair’s mesmerising abstract aerial images

Interview by Jemma Dodd

At a first glance you might be fooled into thinking some of these shots are pieces of fine art, but they’re actually the result of human impact on the environment. Photographer and environmentalist J Henry Fair shows these tragic effects in his latest book Industrial Scars: The Hidden Cost of Consumption . We find out more… Can you tell us about your background? I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, USA, to middle-class parents, in time to witness the race riots. Photography was always an interest and I liberated an old Kodak Retina frommy father which served as my first camera. My first job was working at a camera store, which allowed me to own and use a variety of cameras. What came first, your interest in photography or the environment? My first interestwas inphotography, which I started while in high school. I have always had a deep concern for the environment and our heedless abuse of these systems that provide us with free air and water. That and my fascination with the beauty of machines (as a pinnacle of human achievement) led me to try to create images that would provoke thought about the impact our consumer society is having. When and how did you shoot your first aerial view environment shot? Can you tell us a bit about the experience? After seeing a coal power plant shrouded in fog on a cross-country flight, it really struck me that the aerial view provided access to what was hidden behind fences, but also allowed a unique viewpoint that was inherently fascinating. The area of the Mississippi River known as Cancer Alley seemed like the logical starting place, so I went to New Orleans and chartered a small plane and pilot. The resulting pictures were fascinating, but demanded the back story, which prompted an immersion into research of the issues and locations. What do you hope to achieve with your images and the Industrial Scars book? Did you always intend to create a book? I want people to look at my photographs and realise that we

are all part of the problem – and can so easily be part of the solution. The project is about exposing the consequences of our consumer economy on the earth that supports us and will hopefully support our grandchildren. Many people with knowledge of the environment and understanding of the problems sink into despair, but I take a different view. The answers are there and they’re not as complicated as they are often presented: buy one brand of toilet paper, old growth forest is cut down; a different brand, forest saved and so much waste removed from the waste stream. My hope is that people walk away from my pieces, go home and turn off the lights or walk to the store next time. Better for them; better for the planet. The Industrial Scars book is a wonderful medium, and something analogue and contemplative in our digital speedy world. Your shots vary from landscapes to abstracts within them, do you have a preference? The abstract images are easy to love, and very effective at transmitting the message of this series. But there is a real beauty in these giant machines that extract our mineral resources. They are, ironically, the pinnacle of our abilities as humans. Also, the combination of these two themes illustrates the production processes that produce the things we buy every day. How much research did you have to carry out into each location? At first I found the locations by going to an industrial area, chartering a plane, and then flying around looking for things. However, as the project matured I started to follow particular industries or issues. The process begins with a lot of research: the nature of the industry, environmental impact of their practices, different companies and their locations. Then I start asking questions of people that have insights, whether it’s environmentalists, people in that industry or people in the area. What sort of preparation is needed for these shoots? Some locations look quite dangerous. Most of the preparation for one of my aerial shoots is drudgery. Once I have identified the location, the

Above Terrell, North Carolina, USA. This is one of the plants on the EPA list of sites that could cause death and damage if the ash waste pond retaining dykes were to fail. Left Shippingport, Pennysylvania, USA. This coal ash dump on the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border is the largest in the USA. It is a ‘high hazard’ coal ash impoundment. Top right Oil-Fort McMurray, Canada. The top of a petroleum tank, which stores 400,000 to 500,000 barrels of the world’s dirtiest oil. Right Burns Harbor, Indiana USA. The iron ore, coke fuel and limestone flux at the upper left are processed and blended in the buildings connected by conveyor belt housings in the foreground.