Aug 2001
Hi PMers,
This month´s pic is one example from literally 100s I´m wading through as I attempt to bring one of my main projects to a conclusion: "The Canal Project" is a study of a small canal in Leipzig. Originally built by an industrialist, Karl Heine, in the late 19th century, it occurred to Hitler to connect this to other canal and river systems across Europe to create one continuous waterway for traffic from the North Sea ports of Hamburg to the Black Sea 1000s of km to the east. Like most of his big ideas it didn´t quite work out, but he did succeed in excavating a harbour here in the now almost dead industrial suburb of Plagwitz (the subject of my next series, and where I´ve lived now for 3 years). In fact only 2 or 3 km remain "uncanalled"...a problem that didn´t interest the communists in the former East Germany during the next 50 years, but now plans have been resurrected. This series represents something of the attempts of man to "connect"...which, to date, have failed, and what we currently have is poisoned (literally in the case of this canal and landlocked harbour). I wonder if they will manage it this time.
It´s a beautiful, hot afternoon as I write, but I have to return to the darkroom or I won´t mange to complete my project either!.
Cheers,
Dean