Mines and poisoned lands

The colours of our world have long been affected by human activity. And this activity is not necessarily beneficial. Despite this, the beauty of the colours is not absent from these largely polluted sites. Lithium mines, ash ponds and Lake Searles inspired the creations below. It’s not out of the question that other sites will do the same.

Lithium
More than 50% of the world’s lithium resources are found in South America, in the Lithium Triangle of Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. The Salar d’Atacama salt flats in northern Chile are one of the driest, least populated places on the planet. It is home to the world’s largest evaporative lithium production site, which can even be seen from space.
The turquoise, lithium-rich brine is pumped into huge basins. It passes from basin to basin until its concentration reaches 6% and it turns dark yellow.

Ash Basins
The remains of coal burnt in a power plant are pumped through pipes into huge basins, which prevent the ash from being released into the atmosphere. Often, the ash is mixed with chemicals, giving the contents of the basins bright colours.
The use of these ponds and control measures helps reduce the amount of air pollutants. However, these structures pose health risks to the surrounding area, as chemicals can seep into groundwater or end up in surface water.

Searles lake
Searles Lake is a dry basin located in the Mojave Desert, close to Death Valley National Park in California. The retreat of the glaciers led to the formation of a lake that gradually dried up under the effect of climate change.
Today, the barren remains of the lake are dotted with coloured pools containing brine saturated with minerals.

Creations inspired by the colours
of lithium mines
Untitled, 7 January 2023.
Untitled, 25 March 2022.
Creations inspired by the colours of ash basins
Untitled, 14 April 2024.
Untitled, 1 June 2021.
Untitled, 11 February 2021.
Untitled, 24 January 2021.
Untitled, 4 December 2021.
Creations inspired by the colours
of Lake Searles
Untitled, 19 January 2025.
Untitled, 3 February 2023.
Untitled, 21 January 2023.