Mirage: Energy, Water and Creativity in the Great Basin

The Great Basin is a vast expanse of land covering much of the American West, defined geographically by the fact that it is a closed system, its rivers draining internally rather than to the sea. Its boundaries include parts of Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and California, and nearly all of Nevada. Its scale allows individuals, corporations, and government agencies to do things they can’t do elsewhere, from creating monumental artworks on the land to extracting natural resources or installing enormous wind farms, from testing weapons to experimenting with technology. It is a place that has long inspired artists drawn to its paradoxes. This exhibition uses the idea of a closed watershed system as a metaphor for thinking about this unique landscape as a source of regenerative power. Each of the eight participating artists presents work that considers the Great Basin from different points of view.

Organized by: Sun Valley Museum of Art