Man Altered Landscapes

Over the past twenty years I have photographed the man altered landscapes of East Tennessee including the lime hills of an ASARCO Mine and the dry lakebed of Douglas Lake. These stark landscapes, both located in Jefferson County, are often overlooked or seen as eyesores. My curiosity led me to initially explore these areas and ultimately go back repeatedly to photograph. At first glance the lakebed may appear to be an uninteresting collection of mud and rock. But by photographing it over a period of years, I was able to appreciate the changing appearance of the area, those transient changes from human activity as well as the more permanent ones of nature.

The lime hills, a byproduct of the mining process, are entirely man made. Ironically however, nature’s effects on these hills of lime have transformed their appearance into ones found naturally elsewhere. On a much smaller scale, they can resemble desert landscapes as well as western mountains and canyons.

This project has allowed me to question what I see and how I think, as well as more fully appreciate the importance of taking a second look. These photographs represent my attempt to reevaluate these landscapes in order to discover their significance and present the familiar in an unfamiliar way. With this work I hope to inspire the viewer to take a second look and see that an imperfect world, altered by man’s activity, can still be a fascinating one.

Concrete and Grass Morristown, Tennessee

Debris Limestone Mines New Market, Tennessee

Uncovered River Road Douglas Lake, Tennessee

Bird Holes Limestone Mines New Market, Tennessee

Iron Rods Limestone Mines New Market, Tennessee

prev / next

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·