For most of my adult life I have been told that the prairie landscape of Alberta is flat, dull and boring. However, I have found incredible beauty in it's minimal lines. During a recent drive through the countryside, I came across a lone prairie sentinel, more commonly known as the grain elevator. The light was shimmering across it's wood siding in a mysterious way. Suddenly this project found me, asking me to capture the light and record the illusions in the decay of these few remaining grand wooden structures.
The first grain elevators in Alberta were built in 1895. The last traditional wooden ones were built in 1985. In 1934 there were 1,781 in operation. Today less than 110 are left with even fewer in actual use. Some have been moved to museums, but most are awaiting demolition due to structural decline.
In 1923, Swiss French Architect, Le Corbusier, hailed these elevators' stark simplicity and unadorned geometric shapes as the ultimate in form and function. These tall (some up to 11 stories), stark structures have very simple lines. Their unique surface textures are caused by the decay of the wood and paint. These are the elements that I love to photograph. I have discovered that each was painted with the colours of the seven corporations who owned them, and I have tried to remain true to each elevators colour palette.
I have no personal connection to the farmers who used these buildings to store their grain in, yet I am drawn to them as an echo of a lost way of life. They are, to my eye, simply pure in shape, form and colour.
In this series, my desire is to highlight the geometric aspect of what remains of these old buildings and to share my feelings through pattern and texture.
