So, most of my friends know I'm into the Steampunk aesthetic and diy attitude. Its recently become trendy on the interwebs and fashion world, hitting its trend boom now and will soon probably be giving way to the next fashionable thing (which I totally think is going to be super-sleek sci-fi by the way).
It did seem a little strange to me though that I was so interested in a thing that should seem pretty alien to me, the steampunk aesthetic comes mostly out of the European enlightenment era with a heavy focus on Victorian England. (Deadwood is the official title for the American version of the same era in steampunk, which has more to do with the wild west and cowboys, the Will Smith film adaptation of the tv series Wild Wild West would be a good example of the Deadwood aesthetic, which only has some minor variances from the Steampunk aesthetic really)
When I got out of work on Monday, I went for a walk and realized that I had been raised in two areas that support more of a steampunk aesthetic than I ever gave them credit for. Durand with its railroads and Houghton/Hancock with mining. I took a bunch of pictures of the Quincy Smelter that totally prove my point, they're like background sets for a Miyazaki film. Seriously.
So I present to you, my Quincy Smelter photo essay after the jump. (I'd like to make it clear I didn't go into any areas that were marked keep out, I just get creative taking pictures around chain link. I like my body the way it is, puncture and tetanus free.)
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| Approach from the west |
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| Coal Chute |
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View From Canal Side (I may have crawled around on some rocks...maybe)
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| Coal Chute |
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| Steam Engine |
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| Melted Brick |
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| KROM! |
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| View of Portage Lift Bridge |
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| Confusingly Large pile of Trash Bags |
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| One of the many, many reasons there is fence around the place |
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| Old Railway |
Excellent photos! I really enjoy the exaggerated angles. I've been thinking about painting some of the old mine shafts and what not in an impressionist style. Mostly because I've been thinking of subjects that would never be seen in an impressionist style.
ReplyDeleteAlso, "KROM" sounds like it should be the name of a Jack Kirby character who flies through time on roller blades decapitating people with chopsticks or something.
Krom is the name of the god of Conan the Barbarian in the Robert E. Howard pulp fiction novels, so pretty close I think!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I did a quick google to make sure I hadn't seen the name somewhere before.. and that did not come up.
ReplyDeleteY'know, it may be spelled "Crom"...
ReplyDelete