Great Basin Exteriors: A Photographic Survey

July 12 – September 14, 2011

Images of Nevada’s Great Basin on Display at UNLV Barrick Museum

IMAGE CAPTION - Nolan Preece, Bodie Bullet holes, CA, 1994, Digital Photograph, 21” x 24”

The UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum presents Great Basin Exteriors: A Photographic Survey, an exhibition of 30 photographs by three regional artists – Adam Jahiel,Daniel Cheek and Nolan Preece – which examines loss, change andabandonment in the AmericanWest. In this exhibit, the Great Basinis roughly defined as the areabetween the Wasatch Mountainsalong the Idaho and Utah bordersand the Sierra Nevada Mountainsalong the Nevada and California borders.The three photographers featuredin the exhibit have, independently, concentratedon the documentation of subjectsthat are changing in or rapidly disappearingfrom the Western landscape.

Geologically, the Great Basinis part of the Basin and RangeProvince that covers most ofNevada and more than half ofUtah, as well as parts of California,Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming.Jahiel’s photograph of cowboysin Northern Nevadapoignantly illustrates both thisrugged way of life and its marginalizationin contemporary society.Daniel Cheek’s work celebrates thespaciousness of the Great Basin,which is then juxtaposed withsmall intrusions in the landscapesthat are indicative of a changingWest. Nolan Preece examines therustic patina that is diminishingwith restoration and developmentacross the Great Basin.

The work of each photographerreflects a distinct style andtechnique, perfected duringcareers as highly regarded professionalartists. Jahiel uses the platinumprint to archive and preservehis images for the future.Cheek works with an 8 x 10 camerato reproduce the rich color ofthe Great Basin on chromogenicphoto paper. Preece combineslarge format and digital cameras to produce black and white and color images of high quality.

This exhibit was organized by the Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. Great Basin Exteriors: A Photographic Survey is part of the Nevada Touring Initiative – Traveling Exhibition Program and is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nevada State Legislature.