Trevor Coville Rhetorical Analysis Slag processing The photograph Slag processing, featured in the Terry Evans Heartland

photography exhibit, depicts an industrial machine shrouded in darkness, with the only light emanating from a ring of white-hot molten metal at the top center of the picture. Sparks are shown cascading down a mountain of slag, centered atop a large metal piston in the picture. The whole scene appears to be contained within large cinder block walls, yet much is left to the readers interpretation due to the lack of light. The photograph emphasizes the power humanity wields over nature by showing purposeful human uses of forces of nature in relation to their wild and untamed natural equivalent. This argument for the power of humanity is facilitated through a comparison of a human creation, the slag processing machine, and a work of nature, a volcano. The form that Evans uses to create this comparison can be broken up into two distinct categories, elements employed in order to remove logical objects to creating a comparison between the slag processing device and a volcano, and elements employed in order to draw connections between the slag processing device and a volcano. Evans takes steps to blur the lines between the slag processing machine and a volcano as much as possible in order to allow the viewer to easily compare the two somewhat different objects. The photograph is taken from a ground level vantage point, looking upward at the pile of slag and the ring of molten metal. This choice makes the pile of slag look much taller than it actually is, clouding the aspects of scale, which might have presented a distinction between the machine and the volcano. The effect of size distortion is furthered by Evans careful attention to not providing the viewer with any elements of scale with which to judge the slag mountain. Furthermore, darkness is employed as a means of cloaking any element that could serve to differentiate the slag processing device from a volcano. Having removed elements that would have presented immediate objections to the comparison of the slag processing device and a volcano, Evans then establishes the connection between the two objects by emphasizing their similarities. He takes care to accentuate aspects such as the molten metal and the sparks in order to connect the already established mountain of slag to the volcano that it represents. Time-lapse photography is used to capture the thousands of sparks cascading down the mountain, invoking an image similar to rivers of lava flowing down the face of a volcano. The centering of the molten metal directly atop the mountain of slag, combined with the rivers of sparks, creates an unmistakable image of an exploding volcano. An image, which is once aging, enhanced by the location from which the picture was taken. The camera angle used places the viewer at the base of the volcano, staring up at the slope as the lava pours toward him or her. Finally, the darkness plays a dual role, not only blocking out objects that Evans wished to exclude, but also steering the viewers attention towards the glowing

molten metal, and the rivers of sparks, which otherwise would have seemed dull in an illuminated scenario. Evans establishes this connection between the slag processing device and a volcano, comparing a rare and powerful event of nature to an uncelebrated piece of machinery, common to any processing plant or foundry. This establishes that not only can humanity replicate some of natures greatest feats, but humanity does it with such ease that the feats themselves have become unimpressive and almost common. Evans places the viewer looking, as if from the base of the volcano, towards the threatening flow of lave, invoking the fear of impending and unstoppable destruction that has over the course of human history been attributed to the forces of nature. Yet, this fear is shown as ironic and unwarranted as the element we are supposed to fear for its uncontrollable power is in fact shown in the photo to be a tamed force, at humanitys will. This use of irony emphasizes the fact that humanity has conquered and can control the forces of nature. A second photograph, Acid rinse in the same collection by Terry Evans, furthers the juxtaposition of the wild force of nature and its tamed human equivalent while providing greater input into the argument of the photo Slag processing. The photograph Acid rinse once again compares a human creation to a natural phenomenon. A jet of water is shown creating a waterfall-esque image as it is used to rinse out a large piece of industrial machinery. Examining both photographs it becomes apparent that not only do they argue that humanity has tamed the forces of nature, but also that humanity has had practical purposes for harnessing these forces. In Acid rinse the water is used to cleanse a piece of machinery of contaminates, and in Slag processing the slag processing is reducing the waste products of industrial work. Thus, the comparison between nature and humanity is expanded to show that humanity does not merely have the ability to control natural forces, but that we have the understanding to use them to achieve a purpose. Alternatively the photographs could be seen to argue that while humanity has the ability to harness the forces of nature we do not use our power to achieve beneficial outcomes. In the case of the slag processing plant the end result is a waste product that is harmful to the environment. One could also interpret the rinsing away of chemicals depicted in Evans Acid rinse as harmful to the environment if they were to wash into the ecosystem. These interpretations however grasp at aspects that Evans does not implicitly address in his argument. In Evans argument he emphasizes that humans have harnessed the power of nature to do work, however in these photographs he does not comment on the good or bad nature of humanitys power. This decision to leave the argument open to the viewer can be seen in the context of the photographs. In Slag processing Evans leaves the processed slag shrouded in darkness instead of depicting it as destruction wrought by humanity on nature. Also in the similar photo Acid rinse Evans does not focus the picture on the water mixed with chemicals running off the machine. No, Evans

main focus in each photo is the man made events, and relating them to nature rather than attempting to determine if the outcomes were beneficial or not. Terry Evans photograph Slag processing utilizes a number of elements of form specifically designed to allow the viewer to easily slip into a contemplation of the power of humanity over nature. The main argument of the photograph revolves around the viewer falling into the contemplation of humanity and nature that is invoked by Evans work to bring out the similarities between the slag processing device and a volcano. The argument itself is that the process of slag processing is a direct reflection of humanitys ability to harness the power of nature to achieve practical means, a statement that is reflected in Evans similar work Acid rinse. Evans leaves the viewer with the message that humanity is able to control and utilize natural forces, but he leaves it up to the viewer to decide if this power will lead to a good or bad outcome.