Seized by Peter Tertzakian

Viewing collection Photography Clear context

Scotland, 2023

Peter Tertzakian

Seized

Colour-Enhanced Photography

13.68 x 20 in (34.75 x 50.8 cm)

$650

Available

Two corroded pistons, relics of Scotland’s industrial age, fill the frame. Once part of a working steam mechanism, they are now frozen in place—locked by rust, their movement long gone. In this colour enhanced photograph, the usual browns of rust and greys of corrosion are reimagined by the artist: rust glows red and pink, while oxidized metal shines in electric cyan. These unexpected hues reframe decay as something visually striking, even strangely beautiful, hinting that obsolescence can take on an aesthetic of its own.
Seized is a portrait of obsolescence, not because of total failure, but because of replacement. Mechanical systems like these often could be restored, still capable of doing their work—but they’ve been left behind in favor of quieter, cleaner, more efficient technologies that transfer kinetic energy. What once moved with power and purpose is now permanently seized, the machinery’s relevance overtaken more by progress than decay.