Collaborative Art Project
Artist: Victoria Sambunaris
https://www.victoriasambunaris.com/
Victoria Sambunaris has been working an ongoing series called “Taxonomy of a Lanscape” that spans 20 years of work. This work is really a documentation of the experiences she has had during her photographic journeys across the American landscape alone in her car. Among other things, her photographs document the “continuing transformation of the American landscape with specific attention given to expanding political, technological and industrial interventions."
Why I chose this artist:
I really like landscape photography. It feels sort of timeless. Also, the ability to take viewers to places that they otherwise might not be able to see is a really cool notion… essentially being able to bring the experience of being there to the viewer (to some degree anyway).
Questions for Looking:
(1) What was/is the artists method of capturing photography?
Sambunaris uses a large format wooden field camera. She would embark on lengthy road trips each year and document the experiences and landscapes she encountered. It would seem her general photography style falls into the "Found: Spaces, Places, and Landscapes" methodology.
(2) What emotions does a work like this evoke? How might differing prior experience affect someone’s understanding and appreciation of this work?
The answer to this question is very subjective... and that is the point. When viewing the images, think about and try to put into words the emotional response you have to them. Rather than input my own thoughts here and prompt you toward my own response, I leave this blank for you to explore yourself...
(3) What is this artist’s motivation for capturing these images?
I think the best way to answer this question is with a quote by Sambunaris herself: "I am captivated by ... the idea of how we inhabit our landscapes and what they become as we forge ahead in our development."
For better or worse, Sambunaris fascination and motivation seems to be the documentation of nature's intersection with human interaction... to capture the relationship and changes that come to nature and landscapes with development.
Resources:
https://moa.byu.edu/far-out-the-west-re-seen-photography-of-victoria-sambunaris/