Presented in conjunction with the exhibition, "Our Place in the Scheme of Things," on display at the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery from August 14 to October 9, 2024.
The event is free and open to the public.
The damming of rivers has historically created inexpensive energy. This low-cost energy has fueled a diversity of industries, ranging from Hanford’s now decommissioned nuclear production complex in Washington State’s channeled scablands, to several of Google’s data centers, located in the Dalles, Oregon. The energy produced by dams was once considered a form of green energy. Over time, the long-term environmental effects of damming have significantly challenged this green energy narrative and are requiring a re-evaluation of how it contributes to climate change.
The included images are part of several interconnected projects focused on the bioregion of the Pacific Northwest known as the Columbia River drainage basin. Within this bioregion, many micro regions exist, functioning independently, while interconnected to the broader region. The included works focus specifically on the channeled scablands, which are in the eastern part of Washington State. The works include a sustained focus on the area, including learning about the controversies focused on the four federal Snake River dams, which impose a significant impact on the ecology of the region, exemplified by the decimated keystone species, salmon.
Dennis DeHart is a photographic artist, whose interdisciplinary projects are informed by the connections, conflicts, and intersections of the natural and cultural worlds. Dennis has exhibited broadly, including dozens of solo exhibitions, numerous media and art contexts, and over 100 group shows nationally and internationally. He has received grants and support from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Arizona Arts Commission, Santa Fe Art Institute, Artist Trust, and others. DeHart’s photographs are included in private and public collections, including the J. Paul Getty Museum, George Eastman House, the City of Phoenix, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
DeHart received his MFA in photography from the University of New Mexico in 2002. He previously served as an assistant professor of photography with the State University of New York College at Buffalo and is currently an associate professor of art with Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.
Above image: Dennis DeHart, Scablands, 2024, archival pigment print