Yvonne Hachkowski
Ústí nad Labem
Van Dyke prints, 2.25" x 2.25" images printed on 16" x 20" watercolour paper
I photograph environments that have been sullied by human interaction; humanity’s involvement is grossly opprobrious, and we are undeserving of recognition in my work because of it. I would rather interpret the corrupted serenity of the landscape, alluding to a truth in secrecy.
Located in the Czech Republic, Ústí nad Labem lies central to Eastern Europe’s polluted wasteland. Air, water, and soil are polluted with heavy metal toxins that poison residents, causing them to adapt to lowered life expectancies, and 80 per cent of North Bohemia’s forests remain damaged. These birch are amongst the last standing where hundreds once lived.