About the artwork

Situated along the Barrier Range in western New South Wales on Barkindji (Wiljakali) country, Broken Hill has been the site of an active mine since 1885. Once one of the largest natural deposits of lead, silver and zinc in the world, the mine is now almost depleted, the surrounding land devastated by the removal of minerals, groundwater and vegetation.

Economics of Minerals highlights the environmental impact of mining on Australia. This photographic series depicts the barren landscapes around Broken Hill, overlaid with silver geometric shapes that represent mine shafts, slag dumps and the infrastructures of mining.

Economics of Minerals was commissioned by Photo Australia and the Metro Tunnel Creative Program for PHOTO 2021.

About the artist

Born in Mildura, Victoria, visual artist James Tylor grew up in Menindee in far west New South Wale, before moving to Kununurra and Derby in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in adolescence. His work explores Australian cultural representations through the perspectives of his multicultural heritage, which comprises Nunga (Kaurna), Māori (Te Arawa) and European (English, Scottish, Irish, Dutch and Norwegian) ancestry.

Originally trained as a carpenter in Australia and Denmark, Tylor is now a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice explores Australian environment, culture and social history. His preferred mediums include video, painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, sound, scents, food, and using both analogue and digital photographic techniques to create contemporary Daguerreotypes – and to create new representations of Australian society and history.