Humanity, Technology, & the Land

Today we introduce science and economics at the intersection of photography and art. We hope you hang with us here, as Matt Payne's images are not to be missed.

Mining is essential to Australia’s export economy. Economic reliance on downstream industries, and global reliance on resources can’t be overstated. Australia’s largest mineral export, iron ore, is fundamental in steel production, and literally holds up infrastructure. Extracted lithium, cobalt, and nickel are essential for devices and might be helping you read this Spotlight right now. Bauxite, copper, zinc, lead, and manganese prop up critical medical processes, manufacture everyday goods and modes of transport, and support clean energy technology.

But historically these mining practices haven’t been the best on this earth of ours. Matt Payne's images are stunning examples of the effect mining has on the immediate environment. Using drones, and an impeccable artist’s eye, Matt has turned shots of mining waste into gorgeous aerial works of abstract art. The colors are bold, the textures are captivating. So much so that the viewer forgets what they’re looking at. That these images are the result of chemical waste and debris discharged from extraction.

So, what do we do? The hard truth is that we need these materials, and the industry that processes them. To lose the resources alone would directly impact all of us, given so much of our modern and necessary life relies on what comes from the ground.

Questions remain, and the answers must be found with nuance. Can this be done sustainably? Can it be done responsibly? How do we move forward as stewards more than parasites?

Matt’s images are beautifully haunting evidence of the effects when we don’t.