The Morro Bay power plant is a hydroelectric energy plant in Morro Bay in southern California. What is special and shameful about this plant is that it is built right on the coast line, and so it ruins the beauty of the lovely southern California beach which leads into the bay. This picture was taken in June 1983 by American photographer John Pfahl. John Pfahl is a photographer who specializes in shots of landscapes: “Pacific gas and Electricity plant, Morro Bay, California” is only one of many in a series of shots commenting on ruined landscapes, according to his official website: johnpfahl.com. Photography is a very different type of medium compared to paintings and sculptures. For paintings and sculptures, the artist creates the art and so can stray from reality to get his message across. In photography though, the art IS reality, so the photographer must pick his location to get his message across. He could have chosen really any power plant (considering most big structures will affect some kind of landscape), but he chose this one. Maybe because he lives in or comes from the area, but I think it’s more because this power plant is in a particularly evocative location: the power plant is literally on the beach! Furthermore I think he chose the perfect day to take the picture: the weather reflects the tone of the piece. The mood of the piece is one of sadness and shock, the art is saying: “Can you believe they built this on such a priceless landscape!” the weather is dark and cloudy which is in perfect harmony with the message John Pfahl is trying to put across.
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