ABSENCE + PRESENCE : the materiality of distance

 

This is work centered in Carbon County, UT—which is the traditional lands of the Ute people.

Carbon County is a community that has historically been dependent on coal, and is now facing a complex transition with the push to move away from fossil fuels. My grandfather grew up in a small town within the County, and I moved there for thesis work as an MFA student at UNM.

The artist talk and performances took place at UNM after I’d lived and conducted research in Carbon County for ten months. The daily performances of slide projections and audio aligned—in both time and duration—with the schedule of coal trains running in Carbon County.

There is additional work within the community (as mentioned in the artist talk) which is ongoing & will be forthcoming.