Generations

Thirteenstaticshotsofcoal-firedpowerstationsacrosstheUnitedStates.Someareobservedfromadistance,othersdominatetheframe,theystandinrurallandscapes,urbansettingsandsitesinbetween,withinfields,amongelectricalpylons,ontheedgeoflakesandrivers,nexttohighwaysandrailways.Theyareshownatalltimesofyear,encasedinfrost,hemmedinbybareboughsorgreenfoliage,giventexturebyvaryingdegreesofsunandcloud.Sometimespeoplearevisiblebeforethem,playingsports,walking,relaxing,dwarfedbytheirsize,andsometimesnotasoulisinsight.Noneoftheplantslookmodernandtherearefewobviousmarkersoftime:combinedwiththepast-evoking16mmimages,thiscouldbenow,tenyearsago,thepreviouscenturyorfurtherbackstill.Timeistheoperativewordhereanyway,aseachstrikingvistaissurveyedforminutesonend,longenoughforthedifferencesbetweeneachimagetobecomeapparent,longenoughtotraceshiftsinlightandtoseethatsmoketoocastsashadow;longenoughtonoticetheothercommonelement:there’salwaysatleastonechimneybelchingoutfumes,itdoesn’teverstop.