FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH

Copper

Diamonds

Platinum Group Metals

Gold

Whether they are active or long dormant, mines speak of a combination of sacrifice and gain. Their features are crude and unsightly scars on the landscape, but at the same time, they also represent feats of hard labour and specialised engineering, constructed to extract value from the earth but also exacting a price.

These images combine photography and computer-generated elements in an effort to visualise the output of various mines in South Africa. The CGI spheres represent scale models of the materials removed from the ground. By doing so, the intention is to create a kind of visualisation of the merits and shortfalls of this industry that has shaped the history and economy of the country so radically.