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Quarries: Cape Town. 2012

My interest in quarries began when I did a college assignment exploring space and depth. After photographing the Murray and Stewart quarry I wanted to further  my studies of quarries in Cape Town. My interest in quarries also stems from growing uo close to one. I have exxplored what these quarries were used for, their histories and what has become of them. My intention is to capture the majesty and atmosphere I experienced while photographing them. I am intrigued by how these quarries once played an important role in building up the city and now they are mostly abandoned and forgotten.
The Murray and stewart Quarry is located in Vredehoek, Cape Town. Research suggests that the granite used to build Rhodes memorial was sourced from this quarry but this is unconfirmed. To access the quarry there is a tunnel found just off the jeep track as you enter Table Mountain National Parl. The public are warned before they enter the tunnel as it is unstable and likely to collapse. Both the quarry and the tunnel are covered in graffiti. As I exited the twentyy-metre tunnel sheer walls of sharp rock surrounded me. While photographing this quarry I felt unsettled even though I had a friend with me. I didn't feel very comfortable in this neglected, yet beautifully sad landscape.
Glencoe Quarry is located in Higgovale, Cape Town. The Higgo family founded Glencoe Quarry in 1850. The granite from this quarry was used to build some of Cape Town's buildings. It was once a shooting range and then was turned into a rock climbing location. This granite quarry had a very sterile and clean appearance to it. I felt very safe taking photographs here and on one occasion there were a few rock climber climbing the granite walls. This quarry appealed to me because of it's massive boulders, the random piles of rocks and trees that are located in the centre of the quarry.
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