Currently on view at MOAH, “High & Dry: Land Artifacts” is an exhibition that builds on a long-term collaboration between photographer Osceola Refetoff and writer/historian Christopher Langley (a regular feature on KCET’s Artbound, High & Dry began in 2013). An artists’ talk is scheduled for Sunday, June 3, 1PM. Visitors are invited to bring a small personal item to contribute to a time capsule being created in association with the show.
Refetoff and Langley’s work together originally grew out of inspiration from legendary 20th century partnerships between writers and photographers commissioned by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Farm Security Administration (FSA), including the work of Walker Evans with James Agee, and Dorothea Lange with Paul Taylor. In the spirit of those legendary projects, “High & Dry: Land Artifacts” seeks a balance of words and images, supporting each other via different perspectives – social, economic, geographical, and historical.
Using the land itself as a principal character, “High & Dry: Land Artifacts” examines the things we leave behind in the desert and what they reveal about our civilization. The artists’ hope is that their work will be part of a meaningful public conversation regarding the choices being made in the installation of wind and solar arrays in the deserts of the American west – and that those involved will consider future development in the context of best serving the desert environment and its inhabitants. In addition to presenting Refetoff’s infrared black and white photography and Langley’s text, this is the first art show at the MOAH to incorporate historical objects from the museum’s permanent collection. The exhibition through July 15.
Pictured: Osceola Refetoff (L) and Christopher Langley (R) at MOAH
