Land Used: Photographs of America and Abroad, an exhibit by local photographer Benjamin Grinnell this spring at the WPA Gallery at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation on Route 121 South in Cross River, explores the relationship between the built and natural environment with works spanning the last 10 years of the photographer’s career.
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 7, from 11 to 4. The exhibit will be on view daily from 9 to 5 from May 7 to June 5.
From Americana to abroad, the exhibition captures how man has left his mark and modified nature into a built environment of fields, towns, infrastructure and cities in diverse locales ranging from Montana to Morocco and North Dakota to northern Scotland. Sometimes in harmony, and sometimes in conflict, this examination of the interaction of humans and the land points to a modern reinterpretation of the New Topographics movement in the mid-1970s.
A turning point in the history of photography, the New Topographers signaled a shift away from romanticized landscape depictions, focusing instead on man-altered vistas and everyday scenes not usually given a second glance. Mr. Grinnell’s on-the-road reportage and fresh look at old things also draw inspiration from artists such as Walker Evans, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Norman Rockwell.
The Gallery in the Park is part of the Westchester County Art in Parks program that brings changing exhibitions of sculpture, paintings, murals and other forms of artwork to Westchester County Parks for the appreciation of visitors of all ages. The program also offers workshops in coordination with the Katonah Art Center.
Admission to the W.P.A. Gallery is free; parking is $4 with a Westchester County Park Pass, $8 without the pass.
For information, go to the county’s Web site or call 864-7317
