Colorfields: Visions of Human Impact on Landscapes

The title for my project, Colorfields: Landscapes of Progress, pays homage to the Color Field painters, such as Mark Rothko and Richard Diebenkorn, who pioneered the exploration of large, abstract areas of color in their work. These artists were renowned for their ability to blend background and foreground into a singular, unified hue, creating a visual experience that transcended conventional representation.

The project extends their exploration into contemporary realms, examining how human alterations of the natural landscape can be interpreted through abstract color fields.

Birdseye Views Through Color and Composition

The core of Colorfields is rooted in scouting photographs taken from high above of various salt pans and evaporation ponds across the United States. These locations, often hostile and inaccessible by conventional means, offered a unique vantage point from helicopters and small airplanes. From this elevated perspective, the scale of human-induced changes to the terrain becomes glaringly evident. The imagery reveals the vastness and intricacy of industrial modifications, juxtaposed with the minuscule vehicles navigating these transformed landscapes. This contrast accentuates the grandeur of human impact on the environment.

In creating Colorfields, I employed a digital process to layer and exaggerate colors, pushing the boundaries of abstraction. By manipulating these images, I sought to reflect a spectrum of emotions—ranging from optimism to pessimism—about the interplay between industrial progress and natural landscapes. The choice to crop rather than showcase the entire expanse of the landscapes aims to immerse the viewer in these artificially colored fields. This approach emphasizes the aesthetic appeal of industrial landscapes while also questioning the realities they represent.

The geometric compositions within Colorfields serve as both a representation of the world and an abstract visualization of its evolving landscape. These works address crucial themes of modernity, including our interaction with the Earth and the technologies we employ to control natural processes. The geometric forms and vivid colors reflect not just the physical alterations of the land but also the conceptual implications of these changes.

Ongoing Exploration

Colorfields offers a departure point for future work, combining abstract visualization with commentary on contemporary issues. Through this series, I aim to continue exploring how industrial and technological advances shape our world, while also examining the aesthetic and emotional responses these transformations provoke.