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Open Studio with JTHAR artists Bremner Benedict & Yulia Kazakova
Sunday November 20, 1-3PM
1188 Tahoe Ave, Yucca Valley, CA 92284
JTHAR is excited to support the work of Bremner Benedict & Yulia Kazakova. Join us at The Rieman's residence on Sunday November 20 from 1-3PM to learn more about the research and art practices that were explored while in residence.
Bremner Benedict is a photographer based in Concord, MA. While at JTHAR, Bremner will continue work on her photography project Hidden Waters, a research and photography series that focuses on disappearing desert springs in the American West. Bremner reflects, "I'm interested in the destruction of the environment focusing on the loss of water in natural springs, an easily missed yet important feature in the environment. By reducing the distance between ourselves and the land, the unknown can become familiar, evoking a deeper understanding and empathy for the natural world. Springs continue to hold vital clues to the viability of the aquifers we depend on, and the loss of these significant ecosystems will continue to threaten our own ability to live in dry places. It's my hope that by revealing their beauty through art it will help elevate concern for improved care of these fragile, diverse, and unique ecosystems. I'm grateful to JTHR Residency for this opportunity to continue this work." The Mojave Desert faces increasing population, development, and water aquifer depletion due to severe long-term drought and Cadiz Inc. water mining extraction. Creating an artistic body of work that illustrates the beauty, fragility, and destruction of springs in the landscape is an intrinsically environmental project that could help to protect these endangered ecosystems and serve as a call to action.
Yulia Kazakova is a visual artist from Moscow, currently living and working in Berlin. Her work focuses on the aesthetic of the ruins between a futuristic dream and a dystopic nightmare. During her stay in Joshua Tree, Yulia observed, "We live in times when we should constantly question ourselves about the price of our comfort. At what point do our living comforts become an unnecessary luxury and even a danger to the environment? Through conversations with members of the desert community, I learned about a new alarming problem in the region – ever-increasing number of Airbnbs. In my work, I have addressed the issues of the impact of these buildings on the ecosystem, water and electricity consumption, and their consequences for community life and the desert landscape. My pictures must provide a further impetus to reflect and discuss about this situation." This body of work will serve as a warning about the possible future worlds that our society may face.
Sunday November 20, 1-3PM
1188 Tahoe Ave, Yucca Valley, CA 92284
JTHAR is excited to support the work of Bremner Benedict & Yulia Kazakova. Join us at The Rieman's residence on Sunday November 20 from 1-3PM to learn more about the research and art practices that were explored while in residence.
Bremner Benedict is a photographer based in Concord, MA. While at JTHAR, Bremner will continue work on her photography project Hidden Waters, a research and photography series that focuses on disappearing desert springs in the American West. Bremner reflects, "I'm interested in the destruction of the environment focusing on the loss of water in natural springs, an easily missed yet important feature in the environment. By reducing the distance between ourselves and the land, the unknown can become familiar, evoking a deeper understanding and empathy for the natural world. Springs continue to hold vital clues to the viability of the aquifers we depend on, and the loss of these significant ecosystems will continue to threaten our own ability to live in dry places. It's my hope that by revealing their beauty through art it will help elevate concern for improved care of these fragile, diverse, and unique ecosystems. I'm grateful to JTHR Residency for this opportunity to continue this work." The Mojave Desert faces increasing population, development, and water aquifer depletion due to severe long-term drought and Cadiz Inc. water mining extraction. Creating an artistic body of work that illustrates the beauty, fragility, and destruction of springs in the landscape is an intrinsically environmental project that could help to protect these endangered ecosystems and serve as a call to action.
Yulia Kazakova is a visual artist from Moscow, currently living and working in Berlin. Her work focuses on the aesthetic of the ruins between a futuristic dream and a dystopic nightmare. During her stay in Joshua Tree, Yulia observed, "We live in times when we should constantly question ourselves about the price of our comfort. At what point do our living comforts become an unnecessary luxury and even a danger to the environment? Through conversations with members of the desert community, I learned about a new alarming problem in the region – ever-increasing number of Airbnbs. In my work, I have addressed the issues of the impact of these buildings on the ecosystem, water and electricity consumption, and their consequences for community life and the desert landscape. My pictures must provide a further impetus to reflect and discuss about this situation." This body of work will serve as a warning about the possible future worlds that our society may face.
