source: dillonmarshcom

South Africa’s first ever commercial mine, the Blue Mine in Springbok, began operating in 1852. More mines opened soon after as copper deposits were discovered in the surrounding areas. This, in turn, boosted the development of small towns in a relatively remote area of the country, as workers settled nearby. By 2007, however, most of these mines had run their course and production had stopped almost completely. This presents an uncertain future for the towns and people of the region.
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source: dillonmarshcom

I was born in Cape Town in 1981 and I continue to live there today. I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art from the University of Stellenbosch and during the course of my studies I was drawn to photography and I have remained passionate about it ever since.
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source: designboom

cape town-based artist dillon marsh combines photography and computer generated technologies in his series ‘for what it’s worth’, which visually embodies the resources of a copper mine situated within the landscapes of site specific locales. ‘whether they are active or long dormant, mines speak of a combination of sacrifice and gain.’ marsh describes ‘their features are crude, unsightly scars on the landscape – unlikely feats of hard labor and specialized engineering, constructed to extract value from the earth but also exacting a price.’

using CGI, marsh places a solid copper sphere within each arid scene, acting as a scale model that equates to the exact mass removed from the existing mine. the round object occupies the terrain, illustrating how much of the ground from which it was extracted. ‘by doing so, the intention is to create a kind of visualization of the merits and shortfalls of mining in south africa, an industry that has shaped the history and economy of the country so radically,’ marsh finishes.

marsh describes a detail of the mining industry: ‘the country’s first ever commercial mine, the blue mine in springbok, began operating in 1852. more mines opened soon after as copper deposits were discovered in the surrounding areas. this, in turn, boosted the development of small towns in a relatively remote area of the country, as workers settled nearby. by 2007, however, most of these mines had run their course and production had stopped almost completely. this presents an uncertain future for the towns and people of the region.’