Primeval Germanium

Primeval Germanium is a geoartistic experiment that considers resource extraction across time. The work employs metal-point drawings on paper, a technique used for mark-making since antiquity. The automated drawings depict mining sites, landscapes, and artifacts associated with copper, silver, and germanium extraction and processing. These ancient and contemporary sites and processes are crucial for manufacturing contemporary digital technology such as phones and computers.

The automated drawing process abstracts away the representational nature of the images, turning the focus toward affective properties of repetition, density, and process. These abstract images of extraction lament how our devices emerge from the same relationship with Earth that has defined imperial power throughout history. The work invites viewers to consider the hidden cost, leftover dirt, and haunting ontologies embedded in our digital devices and their functions.