Abandoned Tractor Tires Whalers Bay Antarctica Black And White | Limited Edition of 10
Industrial Remains Half Buried At An Antarctic Whaling Station
At Whalers Bay Station in Antarctica, I came across these enormous abandoned tractor tires slowly disappearing into the barren ground. Only portions of the heavy tread remain exposed, while broken mechanical pieces and cables sit nearby. In black and white, the shapes become almost sculptural: two great arcs of rubber, scarred by age, surrounded by an open landscape with almost nothing to distract from what has been left behind.
During my Antarctica tour, I was able to spend time exploring and photographing this abandoned whaling station. Walking through a place with so much visible evidence of another era was one of the experiences I remember most clearly from the trip. Photographs like this are why I remain drawn to abandoned places wall art. There is something compelling about finding objects that once had an obvious purpose and seeing what remains after that purpose has disappeared.
The composition is built around the relationship between the two partially buried tires. The larger foreground tire immediately carries the eye into the photograph, and the second repeats the same curved form farther back. From there, the cables and smaller pieces of machinery pull the eye toward the right before the surrounding emptiness takes over. The rough tread, gravel, scattered stones, worn metal and deep shadows give the photograph considerable texture without needing anything added to the scene.
I chose black and white because color was not what interested me here. I wanted the photograph to be about form, age, texture and isolation. The monochrome treatment also emphasizes the contrast between the hard industrial remains and the vast, exposed Antarctic setting.
For me, there is also a sense of distance in time. Standing at the old station and thinking about the people who once worked there made it feel like I was looking into a very different world from the one we know today. That history is present without needing to dominate the photograph.
I offer this photograph as a limited edition of only 10 prints. Each print is produced with archival pigment inks on premium archival paper, personally signed by me, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Its neutral tones and industrial subject can work particularly well in contemporary, minimalist or more rugged interiors, and I think it will especially appeal to collectors drawn to Antarctica, abandoned places and remnants of working history.
The exposed tread, buried wheels and surviving mechanical fragments also place this photograph naturally within my collection of machinery wall art.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2011
Limited Edition of 10
This photograph is released as a signed and numbered limited edition of only 10 prints in total across all available sizes combined—not 10 prints in each size.
Every size is drawn from the same edition. Whether the photograph is purchased as a small print or at the largest available size, it uses one of the 10 edition numbers.
I personally sign and number each print on the reverse, and every print is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity recording its title, dimensions, medium, edition number, and date of issue.
Once all 10 prints have been sold, the edition will be permanently closed. No additional numbered editions of the photograph will be produced in another size or format.
Premium Archival Fine Art Prints
I personally produce every photograph using archival pigment inks on premium archival paper with a subtle luster finish.
The paper provides rich tonal depth, excellent fine-detail reproduction, and a refined surface that reduces distracting glare under normal indoor lighting. It is especially well suited to both color and black-and-white photography.
Each photograph is sold as an unframed fine art print, allowing it to be framed according to the collector’s space and personal style.
Before a print leaves my studio, I carefully inspect it for color, tonal accuracy, surface quality, and overall presentation. Nothing is outsourced, and every finished print passes through my hands.
