Photographer J. Henry Fair’s work might remind you of paintings by Abstract Expressionists like Willem De Kooning or Clyfford Still, but unfortunately for the health of our planet, it’s not. His vivid, aerial snapshots, which document the devastated landscapes left behind by industrial processes and environmental pollution, are totally real — and in most cases, incredibly beautiful. Click through to preview some of the images currently on display at the Gerald Peters Gallery in New York, and if you like what you see, be sure to check out The Day After Tomorrow: Images of Our Earth in Crisis , a book of Fair’s photographs scheduled for release later this month.
J Henry Fair, Agent Orange, Gulf of Mexico, 2010. Oil floats on the Gulf of Mexico, following the Deepwater Horizon spill. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Herbicide, Luling, LA, 2010. Herbicide manufacturing plant. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Crime and Punishment, Gulf of Mexico, 2010. Oil from BP Deepwater Horizon spill on the Gulf of Mexico. 50 x 70 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Facial Tissues, Terrace Bay, Ontario, Canada, 2005. Paper pulp waste, resulting from facial tissue manufacture. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Lightning Rods, Fort McMurrary, Alberta, Canada, 2009. The inside of a holding tank at an oil sands upgrader facility. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Expectoration, Darrow, LA, 2005. A plume of foam in bauxite waste at an aluminum manufacturing plant. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Coal Slurry, Kayford Mountain, WV. Residue stream of water and chemicals, resulting from coal washing. 50 x 70 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Bottom Ash, New Roads, LA, 2010. Bottom ash disposal pond at coal-fired power plant. 50 x 70 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Phospho-Gypsum, Geismar, LA, 2005. Phospho-gypsum waste at a fertilizer manufacturing plant. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Dendrite, Rio Tinto, Spain, 2008. Run-off pond at Rio Tinto mine. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Blood from a Stone, Lausitz, Germany, 2008. Waste pond near brown coal-fired power station. 50 x 70 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Gangrene, Luling, LA, 2010. Herbicide manufacturing plant. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Crucible, Convent, LA, 2005. Heavy metal waste, resulting from fertilizer production. 50 x 70 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Bacon, Warsaw, NC, 2008. Hog fecal waste lagoon. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery
J Henry Fair, Lightning Rods, Fort McMurrary, Alberta, Canada, 2009. The inside of a holding tank at an oil sands upgrader facility. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of J Henry Fair/Gerald Peters Gallery