This project pays homage to people who perform hard manual labor. Workers who were once very proud of their positions are now losing their jobs due to the local and global recession. In Upper Silesia, Poland, the work ethos, traditions, and related customs are alive and colorful. But, in recent years, half of the existing coalmines here were shut down, along with 70% of the heavy industry factories. Very little is done by the state to help those who have lost jobs, including men traditionally accustomed to supporting their families. My photographs depict tasks, places and objects that are becoming things of the past. It is a story about Silesia and what it is today.
