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Infrastructures From Above: 17 Photographs From The Series "The Systems That Shape Us" By Aya Okawa

Infrastructures From Above: 17 Photographs From The Series "The Systems That Shape Us" By Aya Okawa

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Part of the exclusive online showroom developed by All About Photo, this exhibition is on view for the month of February 2022 and includes seventeen photographs from the series "The Systems That Shape Us".
We may tune out - or stop noticing - the infrastructure and systems that most deeply shape our lives as individuals and societies. As we go about our daily routines, do we consider the structures in place that put power in our electrical sockets, food in our grocery stores, plastic in our consumables, or salts in our batteries?

#1 Large Scale Flower Farm, 2017

Large Scale Flower Farm, 2017
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18points

"As a photographer & visual anthropologist, when I started flying in small planes I was struck by how tiny our all-important lives actually looked from above, when moments ago the concerns of the terrestrial life had seemed so all-encompassing. Flying above my own town, I was duly shocked by how little I actually knew about the area that I had lived in for years - I drove around and explored on foot (or so I thought) - only to realize that all it took to keep a site out of view was something as insignificant as a 6-foot tall fence, a gate, or even nothing at all, in many cases.

From above, I could see massive caverns gauged into the earth by bulldozers, vast stretches of electrical lines and transformer stations, landfills sprawling across hilltops, and industrial plants belching into water sources. Much of this I had never noticed or given much thought to."

#2 Reclaimed Housing, 2017

Reclaimed Housing, 2017
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16points

"I became fascinated by capturing and studying images of the infrastructure around my community, and those of communities globally - visually investigating the infrastructure that we may not heed in our everyday lives, and exploring the human-made systems that define the foundations of our societies, cultures, and economies.

In this exploration, I was mesmerized by the beauty in the patterns that emerged - in both the human-made & natural ecosystems - and my goal is to share this sense of awe and curiosity with others through this series. These photos were made in cities throughout the United States, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, & Belgium."

#3 Power, Centered, 2021

Power, Centered, 2021
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14points

#4 Aquaculture, 2017

Aquaculture, 2017
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13points

#5 Freeway Tentacles, 2017

Freeway Tentacles, 2017
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10points

#6 Commodities In Transit, 2017

Commodities In Transit, 2017
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10points

#7 Transport, 2018

Transport, 2018
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10points

#8 Housing Development, 2017

Housing Development, 2017
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9points

#9 Commute, 2021

Commute, 2021
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9points

#10 Industrial Salt Pans, 2017

Industrial Salt Pans, 2017
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8points

#11 Trucks, 2016

Trucks, 2016
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8points

#12 Agricultural Irrigation, 2021

Agricultural Irrigation, 2021
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7points

#13 Refinery Networks, 2017

Refinery Networks, 2017
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7points

#14 Building Materials, 2016

Building Materials, 2016
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7points

#15 Industrial Agriculture, 2019

Industrial Agriculture, 2019
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4points

#16 Industrial Chemistry, 2018

Industrial Chemistry, 2018
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3points

#17 Toxic Drain, 2018

Toxic Drain, 2018
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3points
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