Milan Radisics
Mud Volcanoes
of Azerbaijan
Series of aerial photographs exploring the otherwordly and unseen scenes created by mud volcanoes eruptions on distant, hard-to-reach places in Gobustan area, Azerbaijan, which have never been captured so far.
Some sources say that 300 of the 700 mud volcanoes on Earth are in the coastal area of Azerbaijan. Mud volcanoes are closely associated with underground petrochemical reserves and the gas trying to escape to the surface. Every 20 years or so, the gas ignites deep below the surface, creating an explosion, although this is generally not dangerous to humans. They usually erupt quietly, spitting water mixed with salts or acid.
Temperatures in a mud volcano are much cooler than those in a regular volcano. Mud volcanoes also tend to be smaller in size, with the biggest around 10 kilometers in diameter and 700 meters high.
One interesting fact is that NASA geologists studying Mars have concluded that the planet’s uplands are similar in structure to the mud volcanoes of Azerbaijan.
Jelly fish – unnamed mud volcano
The crater of an unnamed mud volcano silvering, displaying layers of eruptions from past decades. The formation, roughly 5 km wide in diameter and 30 meters high, is flat and mostly covered by grass, lending contrast to the traces of fresh eruptions. Traces of the cars gives sense of scale.Gobustan area, Azerbaijan. 2018 september 15.
Volcanic landscape of Gobustan
Top down view of typical landscape of Sirvan plain covered with dried grass, few cultivated parcells on hill slopes and with strange shapes of mud volcano craters. The craters of unnamed mud volcanoes displaying different characteristics of eruptions.
Moon surface – unnamed mud volcano
The formation, roughly 200 m wide in diameter and 100 meters high, is flat and mostly covered by grass, lending contrast to the traces of fresh eruptions. Traces of the cars and grazing domestic animals gives sense of scale.
Volcano is located near to the Şıxzahırlı village in Qobustan mountain area, around 100 kilometers from Baku, Azerbaijan. 2018 september 15.
Volcano is located near to the Şıxzahırlı village in Qobustan mountain area, around 100 kilometers from Baku, Azerbaijan. 2018 september 15.
Earth’s acne – unnamed mud volcano
The smalest mud volcano crater in the group of seven of them displaying layers of eruptions from past decade is surrounded with traces of cars. The amorphous silvering cone is just 10 m wide and 2 m high.
Locations
The art pieces are actually composite pictures made up of multiple aerial photos. The largest items contain as many as 100 megapixels. The unbelievably high resolution makes it possible to blow them up to human scale (1.5 meters or nearly 5 feet), so they may take their rightful place alongside paintings on gallery walls.
Also, the human scale affords exactly the right proportions to appreciate these spectacles truly – whether delving into the hidden details up close, or savoring the natural cavalcade of colors that dominate the showroom from afar.
Jelly fish – unnamed mud volcano
The formation like a giant pancake, roughly 5 km wide in diameter and 30 meters high, is flat and mostly covered by grass, lending contrast to the traces of fresh eruptions.
Moon surface – unnamed mud volcano
The shapes of an unnamed mud volcano crater silvering and resemble the surface of the Moon. Difernet layers displaying eruptions from past decades. Volcano is located near to the Şıxzahırlı village in Qobustan mountain area, around 100 kilometers from Baku, Azerbaijan. 2018 september 15.
Cameleon eye – unnamed mud volcano
The crater of an unnamed mud volcano displaying layers of eruptions from past decades is surrounded by dried ponds. Roughly on the half road of Qobustan and Qubalıbalaoğlan villages in Qobustan mountain area, on Sirvan plain, arround 100 kilometers from Baku, Azerbaijan. 2018 september 15.
Star shaped unnamed crater
Roughly on the half road of Qobustan and Qubalıbalaoğlan villages in Qobustan mountain area, on Sirvan plain, arround 100 kilometers from Baku, Azerbaijan. 2018 september 15.
...and few non-aerials:
Series is part of the project Water.Shapes.Earth which spread stories about the beauty shaping power of water, about how water influences our lives, about our destructive tendencies and on the end as a consequence, about drught leading to the oterworldly landscapes.
MUD VOLCANOES
of Azerbaijan
Aerials are available in limited editions of three and six
© 2019 Milan Radisics
milan@radex.hu
