Missouri Plateau 2005

Editor: This is Joe Deal's "Missouri Plateau" from 2005, a gelatin-silver print. It's very still... almost mournful, wouldn't you say? All that sky bearing down. What do you make of it? Curator: It evokes a specific kind of American West, doesn’t it? Devoid of romanticism, this stark realism pulls us into a landscape scarred by exploitation and neglect. Think about the history of westward expansion, the forced displacement of indigenous peoples, and the environmental consequences of resource extraction. How do those histories inform your reading of this seemingly quiet scene? Editor: Well, seeing it that way makes the stillness seem less peaceful and more like an absence – like something’s been taken away. I guess the open landscape maybe masks environmental degradation. Curator: Precisely. Deal’s perspective encourages us to look beyond the picturesque. This wasn't untouched land, but territory marked by the imposition of human desires. Does the title, "Missouri Plateau", take on a different resonance now, acknowledging a geographical space entangled in socioeconomic history? Editor: Definitely. Before, I just saw a flat field, but now I can imagine that history etched into the land itself. Do you think that’s what Deal intended? Curator: I think he was aiming to show us the underbelly of the sublime, revealing how narratives of progress often conceal systemic inequalities. Editor: That's fascinating, I'll definitely remember that when considering other landscapes, both in art and reality. Thanks. Curator: Absolutely, let's continue questioning the visual language that has shaped our understanding of nature and space.