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Photographs by Chris Dunker
Tell Us What You Think--We're Here To Listen
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This blog, the posts, or the comments contained herein are not the official opinion(s) of Brigham Young University, the College of Fine Arts & Communications, or the BYU Museum of Art. The images have been provided for educational use only. Any other use or reproduction of the images is prohibited, unless authorized by the BYU Museum of Art
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- General Comments, Thoughts or Queries
- Why do you think these photographs are being shown...
- What impact do you think Geneva Steel's closing ha...
- Is the closing of Geneva Steel evidence of progres...
- What was your favorite work in this exhibition?
- What do you think is the theme of this exhibition?
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95 comments:
I feel like I lost a gruff old friend.
I used to walk down to Geneva Road with my grandfather to see the flames coming out of various pipes, and different colored smoke billowing up in the air. It was like an industrial rainbow.
Geneva's time has come and gone, but I wish someone would of had the foresight to save the main administration building and turn it into a museum as well as save some of the massive fixtures from the plant so that many more people can look and wonder.
Thank you for the exhibit.
Looking at these photos gives me the same feeling of mysterious grandeur as the ruins of Rome. Children looking at these photos in 100 years may very well have trouble differentiating between certain of these photos and images of the Colosseum. I wonder if another millennium will view these with wonder at the architectural prowess of our people in the same way we wonder at the nearly seamless walls of the Aztecs.
I really enjoy the thoughts and feelings that these images invoke. Chris did an AMAZING job! Myself and other musicians were very inspired by his work months ago and composed music inspired by these prints with the understanding that some of it would be made part of this exhibit. I was VERY disappointed that the collaboration failed on the part of the museum.
The exhibit looks wonderful and I hope to continue to see and hear contemporary art in the MOA.
What does "Q-BOP" mean?
i remember seeing the smoke and smog from a distance-i never would have thought it could have come from something so beautiful. I never knew what it was. It was just something dark and ugly in the distance. But now that it's gone, I wish I had bridged that distance and seen what this photographer was able to capture. This is part of our world and I don't know that I would change anything but it is good to finally see the face of someone I never met.
Q-BOP means quick basic oxygen process and refers to how the steel is mixed and treated.
A stunning exhibit....not only the photogrqaphy - which is as you describe it.....so plain and objective....but also the comments on the walls and in the museum book. The essays by Turnbow and Northerner, taken with the photographs, are so important as a comment on interpretations of this event as a comment on social and economic theory. I will use this book as I teach about changing attitudes towards post-soviet Russia and Eastern Europe, where western "experts" described closed steel plants and coal mines as "dinosaurs" etc... There is economic theory and social and political theory embedded in these descriptions, and this exhibit helps explain that. Thanks.
Prof. Judy Dushku - Boston, MA
The dissolution of the Geneva plant chases the dissolution of the US economy.
i think that instead of weakening our domestic steel production, geneva steel could have been turned into an industrial green park. those large buildings were awe inspiring. sure looking at a photo is nice, but actually being able to be in those places yourself would have been even better
maybe now utah lake can heal and not be so dirty. geneva steel killed that lake.
The dismantling of Geneva Steel is just one of the many signs that is occurring throughout the United States Economy that started in the 1970s.
This is exhibit is a great example of the consequences that takes place when the direction of an economy is changed from innovation and production to consumption and social engineering.
As with all great societies in human history we are following the normalized Bell Shaped Production Curve. That curve shows the steps taken by industries that emerge from basic wants and needs to innovation, production, distribution, market saturation, extended optimism, decline through over confidence, not competing through the Free Market rules but rather asking for government protection, to the final dismantling of the nations industries.
Countries and societies are only made great through the innovation AND manufacturing processes. Consumption never propelled a country to greatness. Consumption seems to be the last and ending stage on the Productivity Curve. Unless new innovation and creativity through the Free Market is re-ignited, the process ends with stagnation.
I see this process in the history of the English Empire. After great progress it was finally went through it twilight and replaced by the United States.
Now the United States has been similarly dismantled by our competitors in Asia. Unfortunately Americans have not yet recognized that this has been transpiring on a very slow pace and will soon be accelerating to a quick finish. There is no time left for that required innovation and creativity.
When a society does not protect it manufacturing and production processes through proper use of the Free Market, then the Free Market exercises its force through the eager competitors that emerge on their own.
No where in history is it recorded that a society once it slips from its panicle is able to regain that top position again.
Although the plant was obviously antiquated, the industrial dismantling of American heavy industry is but one cog in the OUT SOURCING our entire National Experience is being subjected to
"Bring It Home America" from CHINA, MEXICO and everywhere but the USA is after all the GLOBALIZATION cry of all the WALMART, International Investment Banker types.
Son of WW II Veteran Navy Pilot Swamp Fox
Chris's photographs are incredible, but if I may be frank, I'm a bit disappointed that the museum would take up so much space with an exhibit like this. A photography exhibit, in my opinion, belongs in a smaller gallery, especially if all of the photos share the same theme. Before long, the photos became monotonous and ran together in my mind. This would have been more effective in a smaller gallery.
It would have been interesting to see pictures of Geneva when it was operating!! It was a wonderful place to work It is missed.
I think it's not very pretty.
Tearing down the plant was a mistake. Just another example of how we as american working class can no longer work. Steel will now have to bought probably from China at a ridiculous rate and pay shipping on top of that. What if we enter a war with China and we no longer can buy steel, our military will be crippled as we can no longer build or repair our tanks, airplanes, etc. Our economy has slowed and everyone says its due to outsourcing, this is proof of that. I'm not sure how many jobs were displaced over the dismantle of Geneva but it in no way helped our economy.
It is a fine exhibit. It would have been even better if there were some side by side comparisons of pictures of the plant when it was up and running. This exhibit details the destruction of the place but tells little of what a going concern it was in its heyday. Cheers,
I love this exhibit. For me, Dunker brought beauty and grandeur to something we often speed by without a second glance. He brought life to the plant and gave it character - an honorable way for it to be remembered.
I love the photography exhibits and hope that they keep coming.
is all of the green and teal in the pictures rust that the photographer exposed differently to create such dramatic color effects?
I really like the pictures that these people took. they look really awesome and are filled with the past and lots of cool things!!!!!
i love how bright and colorful they all are! they all have their own character and little things about them that make them all unique in their own little way.
This exhibit brings back a lot of memories working in the mill. Some of the exposed shots look just like when we would have to go clean up some dark corner of the rolling mill. One thing that is difficult to capture is the size of everything. It is so much larger than you think, everything oversized to be able to handle the stresses of making steel. And the noise...noise everywhere, of all kinds. The roar of the Q-BOP furnace, the massive hum of 2400 Volt motors, the constant din that permeated the mill.
Many thanks to the photographer for capturing these scenes for future generations to wonder at.
The lighting in these pictures is amazing!!! It looks just like something right out of a sci-fi flick!!!
The different colors are the result of how film records artificial light sources. Each source of light emits a unique light wave frequency which film records faithfully, and our eyes automatically adjust to. Sodium vapor, metal halide, mercury vapor and many others each record a distinctive color on film. Also, a film phenomenon known as reciprocity causes colors to shift during long exposures. chris dunker.
I'm glad the mill is gone . . . look what happened to Utah Lake. How long will it take to rejuvenate that once-fresh body of water?
I grew up in Utah County. It is sad to see the industrial portion of this gone and the jobs gone, and yet the air quality is so much better. Now with children that have asthma, I must admit that I am glad that we are done with the Geneva era. It is a bitter sweet situation.
I was in awe! As a small child I saw Geneva every time we traveled from SLC to Utah county and back. I always looked forward to seeing the "fire" in the sky, thinking it was such a beautiful and amazing sight. I felt very sad today as I walked around seeing the empty mill and demolition. This is a great part of our Utah history that I am grateful someone took interest in documenting. Thank you for having this display--I brought my children because they were unaware of just why/how/what Geneva really is and was. We are happy and sad--
I remember bringing my dad his lunch. The enormous buildings always fascinated me. My father tells me stories of his days as a worker. Looking at these photos brings his stories to life. As we walk through the museum he brings up the stories and tells me even more.
I feel I lost something that i didn't truly understand. Many of us don't understand what went on in there. Men would go in there not knowing if something would go wrong.
My dad told me a story of an explosion in the Q-BOP. He helped two men out of the fire. It is a little unnerving knowing that something like that could happen at any time
i feel like the title communicates motion, but the photographs do not. The pieces are beautiful, but hardly communicate anything but a nostalgia for a bygone era, one that lest we forget destroyed Utah lake. Industrial society is not sustainable no matter how many jobs it creates in the short term. But it is not an either or game, with the amazing creativity that humans are capable of, as illustrated in the complex machinery in these photographs, surely we can come up with a means of production that both creates jobs and enlivens the earth.
I think they have crippled utah valley's economy by tearing down one of the biggest industrial plants and they shouldn't have done it because Geneva Steel was a piece of artwork in and of itself and I think that most of the people in the gallery cannot even comprehend the sophistocated technology that was torn down to scrap and probably took numerous engineers to build and long spans of time to build all because some idiot went bankrupt
Interesting, informative, educational.
Pollution, pollution, pollution.
Life stilled-both machines and man.
Beautiful photos.
Thank you.
While I believe that Chris Dunker did a great job creating beautiful compositions out of the wreckage of these machines and structures, I could not help but read between the lines and see the irony of this exhibition. This exhibit can be regarded as a great study of the manipulation that art and the museum setting can effect upon its viewers. If the same subject were to be photographed by a different artist with different intentions and a different perspective, I think viewers could have easily been convinced that the “Dismantling of Geneva Steel” was a victory that will help the Earth become a cleaner place. I think the configurations are amazing and beautiful but we as viewers should also consider if we really are nostalgic about this place (as I am sure many who have had direct experiences with Geneva Steel have the right to be) or whether the aesthetics of the colors, forms, and gallery atmosphere, accompanied by the influential text panels are swaying our view.
I came through today with my father who worked 30 years at Geneva. We marveled at the beauty of the photographs. As my father stood looking he commented, "I should stand here and cry." He's not a man given to emotion. This is the power of art.
I am left in awe after exploring all the photos. I'm too young to really call Geneva Steel a memory... Maybe a distant thought in the back of my mind. I do remember my parents talking about it. These photographs are beautiful. even if the actual place wasn't. The display of the photos is spectacular as well. The black walls, the quiet atmosphere, the comments on the walls of past employees of the Geneva... It makes for one awe-inspiring experience. Thank you
I spent 18 years at Geneva Steel, formerly U.S. Steel. I was in the computer department and got to go to all the buildings that are depicted here in the exhibition. Geneva Steel provided a great living for me and my family; I drive on the freeway and look at the lake that was once blocked by all the buildings. I wonder what happened to those who were put out of work by the closing of this. I wish there were photos of the place before the demolition. Geneva was a great place to work but, in the end, they couldn't compete with dumping of the steel by foreign countries into the USA and also with the steel mills that melted scrap metal and competed with some of the products produced by Geneva. Thanks for the photos.
I was overwhelmed with sadness to see the destruction of a site of creation, but so it goes with change. It is unfortunate that some alternative use wasn't thought of to save the memories, inspiration, and power of creation, and the massive investment that it took to bring this and other factories to fruition.
while in this exibit i feel calm. i feel like im around something holy or something very sought after. i just look and wonder what the future will be like without driving by and seeing the plant and the people who were employed there at work.
There's a sort of majesty to the simple geometry of industrial architecture - and it leaves one awestruck to think that it can be taken apart and made to disappear from the skyline. On the other hand, it is as though the potential for the land it once occupied has a tangible anticipatory excitement to it. Can it's future occupant match the grandeur, the utility and austere majesty of Geneva Steel? Can it produce something that will make the highest and best use of the land beneath it?
The collection of photographs was great! I very much enjoyed the composition of Cellar, Rolling Mill. Awesome shot. Power House Boiler Deck had my rapt attention for several minutes. That shot is the best one in the show. Very powerful. Thanks for sharing your work.
Utah Valley would not be what it is without the existence of Geneva Steel. America is putting itself at risk by exporting its heavy manufacturing capacity. I hope we don't regret it in the future.
It is a great loss to have all this equipment sent to China and India.
Most younger people have no idea of the economic benefit generated in Utah County by this steel mill.
My father worked at Geneva for a long time. Geneva provided for our family, my mission, my education, and the same for thousands of other families. It is with profound sadness that I look at the destruction of something that was once so productive and essential to our growing nation.
Environmentalists must be cheering, but I am not aware of them doing much to build the country.
Like perusing a graveyard. Or photos of the deceased when they were living.
I like the effect of the people with time-lapse. It makes it look like their ghosts are still working there.
This is so bizarre. I always love looking at old buildings and such, because it's easy to imagine the daily hustle and bustle of the work life. It's almost creepy, though, to see it all so still and serene. Wonderful job.
I'm dumbfounded by this exhibit. It helped me connect with a part of my communities heritage. I'm very moved.
I love this gallery! My favorites are: Q Bop Exhaust and the Powerhouse Overview! The colors are beautiful, and intense.
Walking through the exhibit really gives one a feel for the joy felt by the author in the production of this product. to be honest, i wasn't particularly excited for this corner of the MOA, but I found myself pleasantly wrong. It's clear that the photographer has mastered the expression of light, colors and general aesthetics.
Such a fascinating exhibit! i was enthralled. i kept asking myself "What were all of these machines used for?" I was amazed at the evidence of such incredible industry--so many pipes, and welds, and rivets--how many thousands of men spent their lives here! And yet how strange that it simply disappears because it can't earn money any more? Why did it stop earning money? Unions? Bad management? Cheap labor elsewhere? Progress or loss? Both, I think. A loss of an era, an innocence and simplicity. Progress to a different and unexplored industry revolution. Thanks for the photographs!
This exhibit was amazing. I loved the use of color and the emotions that the specific colors evoked. Beautiful job!
Looking at these photos gives me the same feeling of the mysterious grandeur of the ruins of Rome. children looking at these photos in 100 years may well have trouble differentiating between certain of the photos and the images of the Colosseum. 'Tis indeed a wonderful display of how an empire spontaneously combusts from pride.
This exhibit breaks my heart. It is hard to see something once so great be broken and demolished so easily as Geneva Steel was.
These photographs capture beautifully the chaos that the time and demolition create, yet how much order there still was in the lines and size of the machinery.
This is a beautiful exhibit.
I grew up in Utah county and I always understood that Geneva Steel meant jobs for a lot of people, but it always felt out of place. The inland placement away from waterways meant safety in time of war, but shipping would always be more expensive. The steel plant was always a symbol of pollution and a cause for poor air quality and small metal flecks covering my driveway and glittering around my children as they jumped on our trampoline.
Now that I see these beautiful photographs, there is honor in the memory of Geneva Steel. It played an important role in the history of Utah County.
It continues to tell the story of the global economy as well, as key components of the plant move to China where the world is relegating much of the pollution that we will not tolerate in our own back yards.
Thank you a million times for this exhibit. Those who see something negative are missing the point. As a child of one who not only helped build the plant, but worked there throughout his life, I find it beautiful and sad. It put food on our table and clothes on our backs. My dad was a real man doing a very manly job with dignity and integrity. I am so very proud to say my dad worked at Geneva Steel!
Excellent exhibit! The composition and light made the pictures stand still in time as a art piece. The feel of something so massive and alive that is now dead...like breathing in a vacuum. nice use of filters and angles.
Thank you for appreciating the art of manufacturing. It is good to know of all the factors that go into providing material we take for granted. I worked at a garment factory 1 1/2 years and it was nearly exhausting for me. I cannot imagine working in a steel factory. I think in general Americans do not appreciate the labor, skill and expertise that go into manufacturing, the mechanics that upkeep the materials and fix major problems. I believe as a nation we need to be more respectful and grateful for those who give us so much.
blast furnace pulpit was my favorite, the colors were superb, and the contrast between the blue and the surroundings was phenomenal.
I really enjoyed the exhibit. The lighting was beautiful. Having lived near a factory for a good part of my life it made me feel at home.
I thought that the exhibition was really good. I enjoyed how the lighting and the photographs were so vibrant and clear. One thing that I would've liked more was to have before and after pictures of the same objects together so that we could see the differences. Also, another thing that would be useful is information about what the picture is, not just the name of the picture. It was really fascinating and very well done. Thanks.
Terrific exhibit! I loved the interplay of color, various lighting sources, contextual hints and extreme sharpness in all of the images. Chris has done an amazing job of presenting what most people would consider a very "ugly" subject in a beautiful, thought-provoking way. It was worth spending the majority of my time this afternoon at this exhibit. Stunning images!
This exhibit inspires the beauty of steel and the ingenuity of the human mind and soul, remember stay 18 inches away from the paintings!!!
wow. that was really awesome. i loved the 'Scrap Yard". it was really amazing/depressing.
The photos have spectacular clarity and give the viewer a view of the mill few were able to see. One that will never be seen again. It's magnificant to see these manmade creations! Thank you for documenting a portion of our history and displaying it.
this exhibit goes to show that industrial design and industrial photography can be incredibly beautiful. the photo of the "upper truss structure" is just wonderful
Looking at this art is fun
ce and what a role it played in our war time defense production.
I have loved Geneva since I was a little kid and I was sad when I saw them tearing it down. I really enjoyed the quotes from the different people that used to work there, it gave the exhibit a stronger feel.
I have lived by Geneva all my life and was sad to see it torn down. It was nice to see pictures of it again.
I think it very appropriate to exhibit these photographs in an art museum. I love how man-made machinery has met its match: nature. "Q-BOP pit, looking south " because of the lighting and the tracks in the dirt. The image makes the machinery look as if it's part of nature now.
This is an artistic masterpiece!
The closing of Geneva Steel is evidence of a loss to the people of Utah County and the USA. Someday we will need facilities to make steel for the people of the united States. We won't always be able to buy it from foreign producers. It is still one of the highest paid jobs in Utah County and it helped the economy here. I loved this beautiful old plant and I feel a great loss.
Thanks for the exhibit.
I would have liked to see more photos before it was dismantled.
Former Geneva Steel Employee
I loved the exhibit.
Did the photographer use lens filters?
I would have loved the opportunity to read more in-depth descriptions of the photographs, including information such as what the buildings, machines, etc. were used for and historical significances in the pieces.
Seeing the exhibit made me sad because I thought about how Geneva Steel represented a lot for this valley; how now it's all but forgotten. I guess even growing up in Provo I never knew the scale of the plant. This was a great view into how huge the plant was physically and more.
My big brother is truly a master photographer. The emphasis on color and composition combined with clarity of line/edge make these photos super amazing. Can I buy one?
-little sister
Really a very interesting exhibit. I didn't see the photographer's quote until the end, but I really think it describes the exhibit nearly perfectly.
I didn't feel intellectually coerced by the exhibit, which I like, though I worry that I've missed the whole point and merely projected my own pet notions onto it.
At times I felt like these photographs captured nearly every aspect of the development and evolution of 20th century industrialized humanity in the Utah Valley. Each photograph is the product of many events, each of which was the product of many, many diverse factors (including political, economic, scientific and philosophical factors). None could have been produced without the confluence of each of these factors. In this sense, they show exactly everything that happened in the 20th century in Utah County and cannot have been produced by any other combination of events. Yet the photographs have a sort of universal appeal to them and they seem to emphasize essentially universal human phenomena. I particularly liked what seemed to be the recurring theme of the inevitability of change and decay.
Geneva Steel was such a presence in the community for so long that it seems strange and a little sad that it is not around anymore, although the smog it belched into the air caused me serious allergies. I appreciate coming to see the inside of the former mill. I think it a worthwhile exhibit, informative, and interesting.
Very nicely put together! I liked the hanging commentary and timeline and various info. Thanks.
I loved the exhibit. I just wish we had before photos to add to the exhibit. They would show the incredible power of steel production. The act of creation in this place would be just as powerful, if not more, so than the act of creating a piece of art.
Why is there no mention of the very negative health effects of this steel plant on the residents of Utah Valley? The introductory narrative refers to government pressures that ruined the chances of this plant to thrive. That government pressure was to clean up emissions that were making people who live here ill--and that we causing people to die. This was what the last 20 years of the plant was about: whether the jobs of some justified the illness and death of many. Why did BYU MOA take such a biased position in homage of a very dirty industry?
I enjoyed this perspective of a steel plant. Like the quote from one of the former workers stated when I see a factory I see pollution. This exhibit helped me to see the purpose such a plant has in the lives of many. The vibrant colors along with the quotes helped me see this factory as a place where dreams were made, as much for those within as without. I am grateful for a new perspective.
Looking at the photos brought me a feeling of sadness...a change in time that will never come back. When I see the photos, I think of all the people that "lived" in those photos and how their lives are now different or they too, are gone just like Geneva. Great exhibit
i think it was awesome
The exhibit means a lot to me and my wife. I worked at Geneva while a student at BYU. My wives father worked at Geneva for about twenty-five years. Lots of dirty memories. The exhibit is great.
Rich Smuin
I went to BYU during the 90's & always heard about Geneva Steel being a big employer in the area & being the cause of much of the polution in Utah Lake & the air. I kind of wondered what it looked like up close & inside & was kind of relieved to hear it was being shut down, though I wasn't happy knowing that many people would be out of a job. Nice to see it documented in photos. Excellent photography with nice display presentation & lighting. I see the closing of Geneva as part of civilization's ongoing progress as we move from old technology toward more environmentally friendly methods.
that guy had one good camera. my favorites were the ones where the images popped out and you felt like you could touch them. there was very good detail.
-eliana, age 10
Such a moving body of work. Chris Dunker has such a mastery and understanding of light. The images provoke thought and contemplation on various levels. First of all there is a desire to know more about Geneva Steel in addition to trying to understand the lighting and emotion associated with that place. He is a true artist. Masterfully done.
-carolee
A place created by tortured souls to torture other souls. This is the vision that haunted Isaiah, John the Revelator, Nephi and Ether. A man's life was not worth a dime in that place.
The exhibition is beautiful. I love the photographs; they make me feel like I'm there, a wonderful thing for anyone who loved Geneva. I also love how it seems as though all the light in the exhibit is coming directly from the images. Well done.
Art made from a place that was so terribly hot and dirty. The photos have real deep feelings for those that worked there. The closing of Geneva was very hard on the unschooled, but college was not for everyone. The plant offered a very good living for many families for many decades. U.S. Steel never kept up with the latest technology, and then as "Geneva Steel" it was too late to catch up with other countries. Think of all the workers at the mines (coal and ore), the railroad, the trucking companies, etc. Manufacturing in Utah is almost dead. SAD! A country that does not produce what it consumes will have serious problems in times to come.
The photographs are terrific.
I hope to see more of Chris Dunker's work.
I loved this exhibit. The photographs are amazing and heartbreaking. The destruction of Geneva Steel impacted the community I know live in, and it represents the changing of our country, which is not necessarily a good thing. The fact that so many families depended on Geneva for their livelihoods, and to see that loss, is depressing.
We can feel somewhat a sense of future generations looking back on us. Also, Reclaiming the land Geneva had occupied let's us know we really don't want to remember the metallic heart we once had. Its a lost symbol of freedom for WWII.
Why was Geneva Steel a chosen topic for this museum??
This is so freaken Awesome, I hope i can come back some day
This exhibit is like witnessing an execution first hand -- the work and sacrifice of thousands of people is wiped away as if it never happened.
It is spiritually and physically disturbing.
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. looking at something is not necessarily seeing something.
Black walls are great.
I believe the comment about seeing an execution first hand was right on. It took me a long time to come see the exhibit due to the emotional impact it would have on me.
There isn't time or space to tell you of the many, many thoughts I have of the 10 years or so I worked at Geneva Steel. I loved the place.
There has been mention of the Free Market when other countries were financially subsidizing their own steel industries. Our government wouldn't do that for us. We lost many, many steel plants during the 1990's and early part of the first decade of the 21st century.
Those that made negative or anti-Geneva comments only need to ask themselves one question: How many missionaries from Utah County did Geneva paychecks send out?
A former Geneva Steel employee.
That's ridiculous to think that just because Geneva Steel was part of the economy that it was a good thing. How many checks from the tobacco industry supported missionaries? The truth is that the Steel Union workers shot themselves in the foot when they went on strike.
We found cheeper steel. End of story.
I liked the Upper Truss Structure photo because of its simplicity and lines. I also liked the colors and the composition of the photographs. It really showed what Geneva had been like in it's prime and how drastic a change it was when it was torn down. Thank you so much for the exhibit!
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