The black and white photo shows a massive, rusty industrial plant in an abandoned paper factory in the Black Forest. In the centre is a large generator or electric motor, surrounded by dust, rust and crumbling plaster. A heavy hook crane labelled "15t" hangs dominantly in the foreground, testifying to the power that must have once been at work here. The device itself is covered in graffiti, silent proof of later visitors and the progressive decay. The scene seems to have fallen out of time - as if the last worker had switched off the lights decades ago and no one had ever returned. The depth of the room shows other machines in the background, also marked by time. The dark shadows and the patina on the metal and concrete make the industrial past of this place almost tangible. The former paper factory looks like a memorial to the era of heavy industry in the Black Forest, when production, noise and labour set the pace - today replaced by silence and decay. This photograph masterfully captures the aesthetics of decay and the quiet dignity of abandoned technology.
Welcome to my world of photography! My name is Marcel Hechler and for many years my faithful companion, my camera, has accompanied me on numerous hikes in the Alps as well as in my explorations of lost places and modern or historic buildings. I am always on the.. Read more…