August 24, 2004
RE/CONSTRUCT Exhibition
An exhibition of unusual landscape photographs of human constructions in the desert taken by Grand Rapids artist Jennifer Steensma Hoag will open at the South Haven Center for the Arts Friday, August 20.
The exhibition, ”re/construct” focuses on objects that were constructed for military or industrial purposes within the barren landscape of the desert salt flats.
Hoag is an Assistant Professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. In 1998, she was awarded an artist residency from the Center for Land Use Interpretation. This body of work was inspired by the objects she found and the landscape that was around her during her residency.
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Center Director Michael Fiedorowicz says the photographs in this series are obscure. “Re/construct” has austere objects in the landscape that don’t quite reveal their meaning.”
In her artist’s statement, Hoag explains why she photographs these sites.
“Landscape is a human construct, created as much within us as around us. I photograph land sites which are under construction or have been altered by other human activity. In these images, I omit contextual information, leading viewer s to believe they are viewing documents of land art or installations. While blending and contrasting commercial and military use of land with an artistic use, these works display the ambiguous relations between the documentary and aesthetic value of the image, the ability of the photographic image to inform and deceive, and the use of the photograph as substitute or visual reminder.”
Her work has been shown throughout Michigan including exhibitions at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and the Art Center of Battle Creek.
“re/construct” will be in the lower gallery through September 26.
The Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, Friday from 10 to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The Center is located at 600 Phoenix Street in downtown South Haven. For more information, call 269-637-1041, or visit www.southhavenarts.org.
Posted by South Haven Center for the Arts at August 24, 2004 12:07 AM