Wooden spokes were attached to a small metal hub, encircled by a carefully bent wooden wheel, in turn covered by a thin metal band. It looks primitive. Such farm implements were in use well into the 20th century by farmers in Western Canada.
That this wheel survived decades of prairie weather is unusual. Hot dry conditions often caused the wooden portion of the wheel to change, as it could expand or shrink, while cold or damp conditions made the metal portion contract. Maintaining the shape of a wooden wheel was a challenge in Manitoba, where temperature extremes abounded. The range between fifty degrees below and ninety above is an astonishing one.
The decision in favour of black and white film, and the selected focus blurring the background, were conscious aesthetic choices. I wanted something that looked and felt a hundred years old.
“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” – Masanobu Fukuoka
Location: Whitemouth, Manitoba
Date: 1987
Source: Pentax ME Super with Fuji black and white film
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