Archives – Winter 2011

DAVID MAISEL, The Lake Project 3, Chromogenic print, 29 × 29 inches, 2001.

Image courtesy of the artist/Haines Gallery.

The Lake Project 3

Photographer David Maisel’s early work, such as the one reproduced here, focuses primarily on environmentally impacted sites. His images show the physical impact on the land from industrial efforts such as mining, logging, water reclamation, and military testing. Because these sites are often remote and inaccessible, Maisel frequently works from an aerial perspective, thereby permitting images and photographic evidence that would be otherwise unattainable. The absence of easily recognizable points of reference within the image eliminates any sense of scale, causing the viewer’s mind to oscillate between the damaged landscape and the beautiful abstract composition.