2008 Woodie Awards
"Land of the Free" A New Take on an Old Theme
Sarah Lee
Issue date: 11/19/04 Section: Arts & Features
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Walk into Clifford Art gallery this week and there is bound to be something there that strikes a peculiar note. Instead of the aesthetic, one finds pictures of abandoned sites and old logging communities. Yet herein lies the silent voice of photographer Deborah Bright.
The art exhibit, "Land of the Free," works rather like the movie Momento upon entering. The American landscapes that dominate the walls seem completely unconnected to each other until the very end. There is, for example, a series of photographs along the left wall that depict the landscape of what was once the site of a uranium factory. The subjects of these photographs range from chopped up telephone poles to wire fencing to warning signs. Cloudy, bleak skies mark the background of each picture. This series prompts the audience to reflect on the consequences of the existence of the uranium factory and its impact on the community. However, the series does not appear related to the series against the back wall of the logging community. Instead of desolate land, these photographs depict workers and their families during the industry's boom years. Here the photographer focuses on the families whose lives are intertwined with logging. The sepia-toned images resonate with America's past. The third wall is comprised of images from a dam. The subjects on this wall vary. Some pictures are of workers laying water lines. Others are of the industry's worksite from, interestingly enough, the framework of broken glass windows. Although these three series are powerful, each in their own way, their connection is not apparent until the last series on the fourth wall is observed. A complete tour of the exhibit brings one to the final images of broken stonewalls. Here the caption reads, "Only the walls endure: signs to most of a noble history of independence and enterprise; reminders to others of conquest and broken promises." The broken promises that the caption speaks of are implied in all the photography series within the exhibit. The exhibit takes an introspective and, indeed, very critical look at the consequences of American progress.
The art exhibit, "Land of the Free," works rather like the movie Momento upon entering. The American landscapes that dominate the walls seem completely unconnected to each other until the very end. There is, for example, a series of photographs along the left wall that depict the landscape of what was once the site of a uranium factory. The subjects of these photographs range from chopped up telephone poles to wire fencing to warning signs. Cloudy, bleak skies mark the background of each picture. This series prompts the audience to reflect on the consequences of the existence of the uranium factory and its impact on the community. However, the series does not appear related to the series against the back wall of the logging community. Instead of desolate land, these photographs depict workers and their families during the industry's boom years. Here the photographer focuses on the families whose lives are intertwined with logging. The sepia-toned images resonate with America's past. The third wall is comprised of images from a dam. The subjects on this wall vary. Some pictures are of workers laying water lines. Others are of the industry's worksite from, interestingly enough, the framework of broken glass windows. Although these three series are powerful, each in their own way, their connection is not apparent until the last series on the fourth wall is observed. A complete tour of the exhibit brings one to the final images of broken stonewalls. Here the caption reads, "Only the walls endure: signs to most of a noble history of independence and enterprise; reminders to others of conquest and broken promises." The broken promises that the caption speaks of are implied in all the photography series within the exhibit. The exhibit takes an introspective and, indeed, very critical look at the consequences of American progress.