We were asked to embroider on photographs, something which I didn't find very appealing as it has come very much into fashion now.
I decided to use some pictures I took for my Diploma working on one of my favorite themes namely how nature is reclaiming its territory
I have so many pictures taken, that I can't put them all on my blog. I decided to make contact sheets regrouping them, although some of the following also show textures. They hang in my working room and are a constant reminder/inspiration of my project.
This is only a selection of pictures taken on both industrial sites, the Metzeschmelz and Esch Belval. While the Esch Belval site has been restored and the metal buildings cleaned and polished, the Metzeschmels has been left to decay. Some of the most interesting pictures showing textures come from this place.
Unfortunately the Metzeschmelz will be torn down and the area will be used to build new homes. Since the closure of the "Cueva" exhibition, the site is closed forever. This makes me sad as I think that this place is much more interesting than Esch Belval.
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These pictures show various textures found on both sites
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The choice for my theme was easy to make. I wanted to research on something I could identify with, dear to my heart and which was reasonably easy to reach in terms of vicinity.
I started by visiting Esch-Belval, to take pictures. This site has been restored but has kept some original buildings from the iron ore industry and at the same time integrates modern architecture. Also the University of Luxembourg has moved here a couple of years ago. Some say that this mixture of buildings isn't really a success but I like it, at least part of it.
The second site I visited was the Metzeschmelz which stands in high contrast to the "polished" one in Esch, it is practically all in ruins, most of it is closed and you can only take pictures from a certain distance. Fortunately an art exhibition has been organized there during summer so that I could access it (only on weekends). Some of the buildings were open and you could "admire" the decay of the walls, the rust, etc..... I went there on several occasions early in the morning when no visitors were there and I could, more or less, enjoy the silence and listen to what it had to say to me... This place closes this weekend and will go through a radical change in the future, leaving me with a certain sadness
Visual inspirations are numerous on both sites ranging from the (modern) architecture, the buildings in ruins, rests of rubber of stones lying around, decay, nature regaining its territory.
This little spider diagram only regroups some of the ideas that came into my mind . I'me sure some will be added in the future
The next pictures show the first pages in my sketchbook. It was hard to resist the temptation and not to get carried away and experiment with the different shapes straight away. You may remember some of the pages from Summer School but added some more.
Here I tried to make a collagraph print, I obviously didn't want to reproduce the motiv but wanted to reflect the general impression of it
An exhibition I will have to visit: Stemme vun der Schmelz - Voices of the "Schmelz" general term for iron ore industry
Charcoal and graphite
one thingt I always find fascinating is the fact that nature tries to regain its territory. In Schifflange where iron ore was extracted it changed to the extent that now wild orchids are growing there ....
The "MINETT"
In Luxembourg, the name "Minett" is commonly used for the South of Luxembourg.
According to Wikipedia,"the term "Minette" came from French miners. It is a diminutive form of "la mine", and might be translated as "little mine, little colliery" or "little vein", referring to its relatively poor iron content of between 28% and 34%.
Minette is a type of mineral deposit, consisting of iron ore of sedimentary origin, found in the south of Luxembourg and in Lorraine (France)."
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It was the discovery of iron ore deposits in the south of the country during the early 1840s that allowed Luxembourg to launch its industrial revolution.
This industrialisation has profoundly changed the south and attracted a lot of immigrants. The Minett has a very dense population, it is a true melting pot. I remember when, as a child, we went to visit my aunt who lived in the south and whose husband worked in the steel industry, that people were more open and less complicated. A great part of the life took place on the streets. Coming from the center of Luxembourg where people were known to be more snooty, this was quite a change for us and we enjoyed it.
When you say "Minette" you also think of the changes in nature taking place because of the extraction or iron ore. In fact my project in Module 5 of the Certificate refers to this.
I would like to choose the South of Luxembourg (Minett) as my subject and probably more precisely the steel industry (with its remains in Esch/Belval and the surrounding areas), the history, the influence, the population.
The reasons for this choice are numerous:
- I wanted to choose a subject dear to my heart. I don't think I could produce good work if I wasn't enthusiastic about something.
- The inspiration and sources are easily accessible. Also, Esch has been elected capital of culture for 2022 so I guess a lot of industrial sites have been opened for visiting.
- There is a historic past which I find fascinating: immigrational background, under which conditions did steel workers have to do their job, where and how did they live...
- and finally the surrounding nature with its hidden rails and entries to the iron ore mines, the red rocks and the red soil.
My primary visual information will almost certainly come from the fascinating remains of the architecture and by nature and I know I will probably have to narrow things down, but the historic research will be important for me too as I know that ideas can spark from different places.
The following pics are taken form the internet, I just wanted to show you what I was talking about. The blog header is my own pic.
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