19th-Century Machinery Gears in Black and White Wall Art

Toothed Wheels and Heavy Spokes Form an Interlocking Pattern

Heavy gear wheels overlap so closely that the eye keeps finding another circle. This black and white photograph studies nineteenth-century machinery through toothed edges, broad spokes, and rough metal surfaces. There is no wider room in the frame; the gears themselves provide the subject, pattern, and sense of depth.

I find the difference in scale particularly compelling. One large wheel sits high on the left, while smaller gears occupy the gaps around it. Several forms continue beyond the edges of the photograph, suggesting more of the arrangement without needing to show it. Their spokes create openings through which darker surfaces and other toothed rims remain visible.

The directional light gives each wheel weight. Bright edges mark the thickness of the teeth, while the recessed areas fall into deeper grey. The cast surfaces are uneven, with small pits and worn patches breaking up shapes that might otherwise feel too regular. I wanted those textures to remain as clear as the larger circular pattern.

Monochrome connects the metal surfaces while preserving their differences. A smooth hub, a rough spoke, and a dark space behind a wheel each contribute something distinct. The close view lets industrial machinery be seen as both a working design and an arrangement of forms. Its impact comes from that combination: repeated circles, substantial iron, and the finer marks visible across the old surfaces.

© Dan Kosmayer, 2021