Shortlisted for the Paris-Photo Aperture Foundation First Photobook Award 2012Selected as one of the Best Books of 2012 by Tom Claxton, Michael Kominek‘Cette montagne c’est moi is about me. Translated literally, it means ‘This mountain that’s me’. It was initially an association of image and meaning that led to the subject matter. The carbon in coal is the same carbon referred to in carbon printing. Carbon printing is a photographic printing process that is excellently suited for reproducing dark tones.For this project I developed a variation on the carbon printing process, a photographic printing technique from the 19th century. I took a bit of coal from every mountain I photographed. I then ground this coal into a pigment that I used to make photographic paper. I used this paper to make a print of a mountain with the coal originating from that mountain. In other words, the object of the photo, the mountain, has become one with the subject of the photo, the print itself.’ – Witho WormsIn January 2006 Witho Worms started to photograph terrils or slagheaps in Belgium, France, Germany, Wales and Poland. These mountains are the visual remnants of the coal mining industry. In Europe these black pyramids are the symbols of a vanishing era that began with the industrial revolution and has now evolved into an age dominated by binary code. Worms has reformulated the 19th century technique of carbon printing. From every mountain he photographed he took some coal, ground it into a pigment which he then used to print his negatives. Various shades of brown and black reflect the specific constitution of the terrils. The photographs show us the socio-political reality of the last 100 years and reflect the changing relationship between man and his environment.”A gallery-show-on-paper presentation of this work would have probably bored me to tears. This book, however, has made me look and see, and it has shown what you can achieve if you’re willing to push the boundaries of photobook making. Clearly to be included in my “best of” list at the end of the year – highly recommended.” – J. ColbergRead more:Conscientious (review)