by
Alexandra Copley
‘One of the basic human requirements is the need to dwell, and of the central human acts is the act of inhabiting, of connecting ourselves, however temporarily, with a place on the planet which belongs to us, and to which we belong. This is not, especially in the tumultuous present, an easy act (as is attested by the uninhabitable no-places in cities everywhere), and it requires help: we need allies in inhabitation.
Fortunately, we have at hand many allies, if only we call on them; other upright objects, from towers to chimneys to columns and power lines, stand in for us in sympathetic imitation of our own upright stance.’ (Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows). In a village in Uganda or a crowded street in Bangkok, even Looking up from a rickshaw in India one will see the same sight as a person driving their SUV in Ohio. Power lines are a contemporary fixture in our world. Their appeal is as inescapable as the lines themselves. The universal recognition of these lines and their symbol of connection between one and all can be seen throughout historical and contemporary photographic representation. Although associations by cultures and societies are as differed as the landscapes where the lines can be seen, visions of power lines here, there or anywhere are consistent and faithful.
These lines standing above trees and below skyscrapers are in all landscapes. From the villages of Africa to New York City, power lines surround people. Photographers choosing to document a landscape will find it difficult not to include them. While these lines represent different things to different cultures, their familiarly is irrefutable; as is their metaphorical and very real representation of life.
We can begin with the first photograph of
Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. This image was captured in 1826 through a window in his studio. Considering all the possibilities, it was a choice of Niépce to capture in an image what he saw everyday and what his personal landscape represented.
Louis Daguerre took the first daguerreotype photograph, Boulevard du Temple in 1838. The depth and clarity of this type of photographic process can be mesmerizing. Daguerre chose to photograph a familiar landscape similiar to Niépce. This vantage point draws the viewer into the world of the photographer.
After careful consideration one can take note of the composition of the lines of the image. Although the exposure was far too long for any of the bustling activity of the street to come into focus, the elements compelling the people to be moving along the streets are still prevalent. Forcing the viewer to again become more deeply inserted into the reality of Daguerre,The rows of trees and curve of the roadway are the best examples of leading lines in a landscape photograph. Also the rows of chimneys not only apply good compositional elements to the image, but also are indicators of the time and place. Once can view the trees neatly trimmed and well maintained, and visualize this neighborhood of 1838. As well, one can view the chimneys in the foreground, middle ground and background as indicators of a period of time when everyone used them daily to power their homes and feed themselves. Therefore the lack of power lines in this particular image seeks to allow the viewer to assume a position in time and the stage of technological advances of our world (or lack there of).
In the discussion of power lines a famous image of the renowned photographer
Tina Moddotti comes to mind. ‘Telegraph Wires’ was taken in Mexico City in 1926. It symbolizes the movement of a country and it’s people into modernity. The lines are the heart of communication and the soul of technology. By simply looking upward and photographing what everyone on the street passed daily but failed to take notice of, she brings the beauty of the lines to our attention. Choosing to center the lines, she provides the viewer with a deliberate juxtaposition of object and sky, of ethereal and real. Her ability to turn a portion of the landscape that could be considered an eyesore into an artistic notion gives life to the lines that are already alive. She brings forth a connection by showing the connected. These lines are timeless and universally familiar.
With the prominence of the new topographics photography movement came another way of looking at modernity, connection, society and landscapes. Since 1975 "New Topographics" photographers such as Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Frank Gohlke, and Stephen Shore have influenced photographic practices regarding landscape around the world. Since the late 1950s they had been photographing various obsolete structures, mainly post-industrial carcasses or carcasses-to-be, in Europe and America. In doing so, they seemed to capture not only decay but also the life within it. Life through connection and the power lines which enable such a relationship. Sometimes deliberately, but most times not, these photographers captured images of power lines.
In the work of
Robert Adams from his series on Colorado in the early 1970’s he studied the construction of new tract housing and land use in the American West. Although his work centered around the ‘new’ and ‘possibility’ it also had a grim feel to it signifying the end of that particular natural landscape. Therefore his photographs lacked any form of familiar life, humans, animals, even nature. Their stark and deliberate feel can leave the viewer questioning society and it’s motives. However, upon closer inspection one can see power lines in far the distance. They are the solitary signifier of life that remains in the desolate landscapes. They are a reminder of our universal connection.
Stephen Shore takes another approach to the idea of landscape. In his work he chooses to focus on the life of a society. Placing his photographs in time with vivid imagery. Capturing every nuance of a location specific to its current state. His images are a steady recollection of life. In them he usually includes people, animals, or cars, all symbolizing movement. Within his images are the inevitable presence of power lines. They are the life of society and represented as modern symbols of this connection.
Still another way of viewing our connections through power lines is through the destruction of them.
Frank Golhke frequently documented that fraught relationship between people and place. His work reveals how people carve out their living spaces in the face of constant natural disruption. In his photographic series entitled ‘Aftermath: The Wichita Falls, Texas, Tornado 1979/1980’ he exposed the frailty of our human life and constructions in the wake of a powerful tornado. In the before images you can clearly see a study of contemporary landscapes and society. The after images tell a completely different story. They are the story of the strength of the winds and the death of communication. The power lines seen scattered across the landscapes in the before images have disappeared in the after images. So has any link with others outside of the immediate vicinity leaving the viewer with a sense of isolation amidst the chaos of destruction.
Today photographers like
Edward Burtynsky have begun to document humanity’s impact on the landscape worldwide. His images of a post-communist, pre-industrialist China particularly indicate a shift among the relationship and communication of this country to the rest of the world. Increased production and exportation goes hand-in-hand with increased power lines. The ancient scenes one might imagine of peaceful, flowing, mountainous landscapes of Chinese rice fields have been replaced with industry, construction and production. In Burtynsky’s photographs one can again sense the life amid the death. Life in connection, communication, relationships through power lines and death in the destruction of the natural landscape.
The linking of people through power lines is undeniable. However the relationship to this access to power can differ dramatically. What may symbolize freedom and the ability to live a better life to someone in the U.S. might also mean resentment, anger and frustration at a lack of resources and corrupt officials in India. Therefore the power lines we see in America, India, China or Africa are the visual representations of this connection whether good or bad. These differing associations are relative to time and place, as the lines themselves will remind you anywhere you travel on this planet.
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