Veranacular Sightings brings together three contemporary photographers
who, each through their unique vision, examine the land, the people, the geography
and the architecture of West Texas. The exhibit is actually an umbrella for
two separate bodies of work. West Texas Photographs is a project of Jason
Reed and Ulrich Eigner, two graduate students working on their master's degree
atIllinois State University. Jason Reed is from San Angelo. He grewup in this
region and is very familiar with it. His colleague Ulrich Eigner however is
from 
Austria
and for him West Texas is a completely foreign experience. This past summer
the two traveled together over roughly 700 miles and thirteen counties, documenting
the land and the people. The photographs on display at the museum are the
result of their journey. Ulrich Eigner, Pete Billings
Jason
Reed is also taking the first steps toward the creation of The Center for
West Texas Documentary Studies, an organization that seeks to initiate an
interdisciplinary exploration and documentation of West Texas. The main goal
is to provide opportunities for writers, artists, historians, and geographers
who are involved in some way with this area. In addition the center will seek
to act as a resource for the education of those interested in the region.
Jason Reed, Marfa Pink House
The second half of Vernacular Sightings is titled Elevation and features the
work of Darwin Harrison. Darwin Harrison grew up and studied architecture
in West Texas, graduating from Texas Tech University College of Architecture
in 1990. Since that time he has been employed at various architecture firms
and at freelance design work, which necessitated a lot of time traveling across
the landscape of West Texas. He has long had in interest in photography and
during his many travels often stops to capture the landscape and architecture
along the way. The work in this exhibit is the result of these many years
of looking at these places. He titles his work,"Elevation," since
he finds himself fascinated with simple, straight forward elevation shots
of buildings or objects. He writes, "Whether it is a solitary
wood shed, a pump jack or even an open road that appears to never end, a simple
elevation shot illuminates qualities often overlooked. The images show us
that the ordinary, everyday buildings and places of West Texas are quite noble
and grand, full of life and worthy of a second look." Darwin
Harrison, Wood Shed
San Angelo Museum
of Fine Arts
One Love Street
San Angelo, Texas 76903
Fax: (325) 658 - 6800
Phone: (325) 653 -
3333
e-mail:
museum@samfa.org