Oxidized

The oxidized metals of the Mojave Desert landscape — rusted cans, discarded bolts, conveyor parts, spiraling culverts, and other metallic objects — seem annihilated by the gritty red rust of time. Yet these remnants have been ‘born again’ as contemporary art photographs through selected light, edgy textures and micro-details, revealing beautiful metals that supported desert pioneers as they pursued life, love and riches in a hostile and unforgiving environment.

I began Oxidized! as a photographic exploration of the vast wilds of the Mojave National Preserve. Initially, I wanted to capture the lonely beauty of the desert landscape but discovered instead an oxidized history revealing itself within the ‘left behinds’ of junked cars, abandoned military vehicles, dilapidated mining equipment and detritus of destroyed farming implements. Each of these, and more, are a testament to lives lived in a high sun of played-out ore bodies, insufficient water, failed markets and autocratic environmental laws. Metals within the Mojave experienced the glory of usefulness, now vanishing into times past. Abandoned, yet now reborn through art, these slowly disappearing structures remain as oxidized sentinels to the march of time.

Barreled Over
A discarded 55-gallon steel drum, slowly rusting away, in an abandoned mine, somewhere in the Mojave Desert. — **Barreled Over**
A discarded 55-gallon steel drum, slowly rusting away, in an abandoned mine, somewhere in the Mojave Desert.

Colliding Colors
Lighting, texture and materials greatly govern imaging within the Mojave Desert. During a moment in time, the sun, discarded oxidized metals and a small dose of creativity collided to create this image of an unstated structure. — **Colliding Colors**
Lighting, texture and materials greatly govern imaging within the Mojave Desert. During a moment in time, the sun, discarded oxidized metals and a small dose of creativity collided to create this image of an unstated structure.

Converging
Seemingly unrelated lines converge new the exit, or is it the entrance, to this abandoned metallic structure lost within the Mojave Desert. — **Converging**
Seemingly unrelated lines converge new the exit, or is it the entrance, to this abandoned metallic structure lost within the Mojave Desert.

Corrugating Gently undulating curves belie the toxicity and corrosivity of the environment, creating this tapestry of colors and textures over time. — **Corrugating**
Gently undulating curves belie the toxicity and corrosivity of the environment, creating this tapestry of colors and textures over time.

Cutting Edge Artfully rearranged by a passing artist, this former structure now patterns its way to a new future, one with an uncertain outcome. — **Cutting Edge**
Artfully rearranged by a passing artist, this former structure now patterns its way to a new future, one with an uncertain outcome.

Discarded Rusted and discarded containers lie testament to the detritus of past entrepreneurs who pursued their fortunes and futures in the high Mojave Desert’s unparalleled vastness. — **Discarded**
Rusted and discarded containers lie testament to the detritus of past entrepreneurs who pursued their fortunes and futures in the high Mojave Desert’s unparalleled vastness.

Downtown Searching the Mojave, art hunters, vandals and metal scavengers can find abandoned metals in some of the most remote places, seemingly scattered in a willy-nilly manner. Once found, the primary question becomes, "What did this thing do?" — **Downtown**
Searching the Mojave, art hunters, vandals and metal scavengers can find abandoned metals in some of the most remote places, seemingly scattered in a willy-nilly manner. Once found, the primary question becomes, "What did this thing do?"

Encroaching Rust and grease cover and seemingly encroach upon the remains of this once functional what? Only those who’ve departed know of its purpose. — **Encroaching**
Rust and grease cover and seemingly encroach upon the remains of this once functional what? Only those who’ve departed know of its purpose.

Escape Light at the end of the tunnel seems to suggest a way out. But is it really? Only the desperate or intrepid will find out. — **Escape**
Light at the end of the tunnel seems to suggest a way out. But is it really? Only the desperate or intrepid will find out.

Expanding Oxidation The Mojave Desert's discards and abandoned metals expand and oxidize in the brutal environmental extremes in that lonely and forgotten place, providing opportunities to create exquisite abstract art. — **Expanding Oxidation**
The Mojave Desert's discards and abandoned metals expand and oxidize in the brutal environmental extremes in that lonely and forgotten place, providing opportunities to create exquisite abstract art.

Midnight Sentinel Watching over the abandoned remains of this abandoned Mojave Desert refinery, this isolated conveyor awaits others of a like mind to interrupt its lonely sojourn. — **Midnight Sentinel**
Watching over the abandoned remains of this abandoned Mojave Desert refinery, this isolated conveyor awaits others of a like mind to interrupt its lonely sojourn.

Native Blanket Abstract and impressionistic photography takes what may be a common everyday item, such as these abandoned and oxidized metal stairs, and with a little bit of imagination, converts them into a native American blanket. — **Native Blanket**
Abstract and impressionistic photography takes what may be a common everyday item, such as these abandoned and oxidized metal stairs, and with a little bit of imagination, converts them into a native American blanket.

Orbiting The gravitational pull of the likely bullet hole is unwaveringly slowly moving towards the larger stationary bolt—at least it seems so. — **Orbiting**
The gravitational pull of the likely bullet hole is unwaveringly slowly moving towards the larger stationary bolt—at least it seems so.

Other Worldly Humans have a relatively short time to make their mark in history, to leave something other than offspring that survives them. One exception: abandoned metals in obscure places. Metals take the form of shapes not originally intended a — **Other Worldly**
Humans have a relatively short time to make their mark in history, to leave something other than offspring that survives them. One exception: abandoned metals in obscure places. Metals take the form of shapes not originally intended and function as art many years after their original utility ends.

Rusted Tendencies Don’t be fooled by the intricate pattern and colored textures of this unnamed piece of abandoned metal—its purpose is likely impossible to determine. — **Rusted Tendencies**
Don’t be fooled by the intricate pattern and colored textures of this unnamed piece of abandoned metal—its purpose is likely impossible to determine.

Rusted Ascension This abandoned, rusted and oxidized contraption’s purpose can not be reasonable discerned by any one but who actually visits it; are you willing to risk the dangers of the desolated Mojave Desert to fulfill your curiosity? — **Rusted Ascension**
This abandoned, rusted and oxidized contraption’s purpose can not be reasonable discerned by any one but who actually visits it; are you willing to risk the dangers of the desolated Mojave Desert to fulfill your curiosity?

Oxidized Synchronicity No longer engaged or engaging, these corrugated gears await their uncertain future. — **Oxidized Synchronicity**
No longer engaged or engaging, these corrugated gears await their uncertain future.

Piercing Light The unrelenting movement of the sun temporarily casts bolts of light within this abandoned cylinder, temporarily lighting up its abandoned and empty interior. — **Piercing Light**
The unrelenting movement of the sun temporarily casts bolts of light within this abandoned cylinder, temporarily lighting up its abandoned and empty interior.

Oxidated Sundial Abandoned metals within the Mojave Desert rarely reveal their original function to modern-day finders. Current-day sleuths must do a records search, talk to old timers, and mostly, try to imagine or guess how pioneers from 150 year — **Oxidated Sundial**
Abandoned metals within the Mojave Desert rarely reveal their original function to modern-day finders. Current-day sleuths must do a records search, talk to old timers, and mostly, try to imagine or guess how pioneers from 150 years ago went about their pursuit of life, love and riches.

Oxidized Spun Having lain stationary for decades if not longer, this spinning piece of metal creates its own vortex and quaking movement, disturbing the stationary slumber of the lone bolt. — **Oxidized Spun**
Having lain stationary for decades if not longer, this spinning piece of metal creates its own vortex and quaking movement, disturbing the stationary slumber of the lone bolt.

Sinusoidal Approach Lines and shapes and forms can create entirely different narratives than their actual function may portray. The lonely vastness of the desert reveals her secrets only grudgingly, and light and distance may further distort and al — **Sinusoidal Approach**
Lines and shapes and forms can create entirely different narratives than their actual function may portray. The lonely vastness of the desert reveals her secrets only grudgingly, and light and distance may further distort and alter our perception of what we see.

Wired tightly coiled cable clearly used to pull or release one thing to another, now sits silently and saliently, awaiting future developments. — **Wired**
tightly coiled cable clearly used to pull or release one thing to another, now sits silently and saliently, awaiting future developments.

Sunset Railing As another timeless day in the Mojave Desert ends, a freight train emerges out of the setting sun, riding on the golden rails of commerce to destinations somewhere to the east and beyond. — **Sunset Railing**
As another timeless day in the Mojave Desert ends, a freight train emerges out of the setting sun, riding on the golden rails of commerce to destinations somewhere to the east and beyond.

Tug of War Opposing spindles had at it the last time they turned, and one was the obvious victor—or was that intentional? — **Tug of War**
Opposing spindles had at it the last time they turned, and one was the obvious victor—or was that intentional?

Spiraling Art may be composed of and from many things. Long forgotten miners of the Mojave Desert would be amazed indeed if they knew their precious metal mining works now function as contemporary art, abstracts that convey quite different meanings — **Spiraling**
Art may be composed of and from many things. Long forgotten miners of the Mojave Desert would be amazed indeed if they knew their precious metal mining works now function as contemporary art, abstracts that convey quite different meanings than when used during the previous century.