Playa Works : The Myth of the Empty (Environmental Arts and Humanities Series)

Fox, William L.

University of Nevada Press（2024/01発売）

• 製本 Paperback:紙装版/ペーパーバック版／ページ数 239 p.
• 言語 ENG
• 商品コード 9781647791537
• DDC分類 979

Full Description

In eight brilliant essays, Fox explores many of the major playas of the American West , examining locations as diverse as Nellis Air Force Base and Frenchman Flat, where the federal government has tested experimental aircraft and atomic weaponry; the Great Salt Lake Desert, where land-speed records have been broken; and the Black Rock Desert of Northern Nevada, site of the colorful Burning Man arts festival. He analyzes the geological and climatological conditions that created the playas and the historical role that playas played in the exploration and settlement of the West. And he offers lucid and keenly perceptive discussions of the ways that artists have responded to the playas, from the ancient makers of geoglyphs to the work of contemporary artists who have found inspiration in these enigmatic spaces, including earthworks builder Michael Heizer, photographer Richard Misrach, and painter Michael Moore. The ensemble is a compelling combination of natural history, philosophy, and art criticism, a thoughtful meditation on humankind's aversion to and fascination with the void.

Contents

The Myth of the Empty An Introduction, 1
A Tour of the Playa, Part I The Mojave, 21
A Tour of the Playa, Part II The Nevada Test Site, 51
A Tour of the Playa, Part III Wendover,77
A Tour of the Playa, Coda Owens Dry Lake, 113
Painting the Playa Smoke Creek Desert, 125
Burning Man Black Rock Desert, 161
Rediscovery An Afterword, 193
Sources, 209