- Great Plain Rob Kovitz' work, Great Plain encompasses a series of images and text which express the historical progression of reactions to the prairie. The new media work makes reference to the love - hate dichotomy which is felt by visitors, newcomers, and the permanent inhabitants of the prairie, while highlighting its challenging but underlying beauty. In addition to being rich in gamut, its suggestions are as vast as the "sea" (of grasses) it seeks to iconicize. By Rob Kovitz. Opens in new window.
- The Disappearance
of a
Prairie Icon The discussion-turned-project photographed by Dean Syverson and produced by Alicia Smith highlights the plight of prairie grain elevators. These tall and bold objects stand on the landscape as disappearing symbols of a once thriving prairie economy. The work explores how grain elevators are being eradicated due to a changing farming culture and the instability of their materiality ? too expensive to maintain, too fragile to retain. As contrasts to the said "harsh, flat, extreme physical environment", this prairie icon is nevertheless mourned for its loss. By Alicia Smith. Opens in new window and requires Macromedia Flash (2MB).
- Living Prairie Painting:
Workinprogress Jonasson's work is a mixture of imagery that includes photographs, paintings and overlapping text. The timed sequences invite the viewer to change scales, and to observe the known in different ways. The work takes us into Louise's new studio, in its progressions from vacant warehouse spaces to become a space of habitation and curation. The web essay is broken into five sections allowing the reader to participate in the mystery of "what next", to pause and breathe, all the while recalling the prairie. By G N Louise Jonasson. Opens in new window and requires Macromedia Flash (225kb).
- Bodily Beginning with the quote "Boredom is the precursor to attentiveness" by Jerome Rothenberg, this video project of poetry, imagery and sound by Jan Guenther Braun evokes questions about the prairie, and humanity. Spanning seasons, the visual focus combined with the sounds are in essence, eerie and compelling. The "halts" which are text between images of the prairie seem to demand the attention and reflection of the viewer. It is a piece about difference and defiance and the role one plays in defining boundaries. By Jan Guenther Braun. Opens in new window and requires Quicktime (17.5MB).
