- Desert Landscapes - Why does the immensity of vast empty spaces attract modern man,even though there is nothing to do there... The landscape gets lost in the distant horizon; the evening sun transforms the terrain into a Martian landscape imposing respect, as well as silence. Almost as if to shout or cry in the presence of such a force would be forbidden. I once attempted to listen to this silence. Fortunately it does not exist …there is always a sound in the deepest recesses of the ear that never stops vibrating. In the Altiplano, the size of France, there are few traces of animal life and water is scarce – it is one of the driest places on the planet. These conditions are difficult to withstand, nevertheless one still wants to remain there for a long time. A human being has a natural urge for action, an urge to create,to pass the time during its brief stay on this planet, to make its mark... The following photos were taken in the north of Argentina and southern Bolivia, 3500 meters above sea-level, during August 2007. The train cemetery is found nearby the city of Uyuni, on the border of its salt flats between Potosí, in the center of Bolivia,and the Chilean city of Antofagasta, from where minerals such as silver and copper areexported to the rest of the world. The construction of the first railway there dates from 1899. The image of a simple locomotive was a symbol of progress for the villages andthe official opening ceremonies spread rapidly throughout the territory.But this initial happiness was deceitful, since the trains took away the minerals,leaving the region penniless. And still, the long-awaited funding never appeared.In visiting this forgotten pantheon of oxidized iron,allows oneself to imagine how these ruins were originallytrains that would journey endlessly to build a nation. The impression is similar to visiting the ancient ruins, even though, in this case, they are merely fifty years old. |