The Altered Landscape

Shirtwood Phenomenon; Maine 1963

Marianne McCarthy

I’m very excited about the opportunity to participate in the upcoming show “The Altered Landscape” opening up tomorrow night at The New Space Center for Photography. The Altered Landscape is an exhibition culled from over 200 local, national and international entries. Photographers were asked to submit depictions of an “altered landscape”.  I’m happy to offer up my own attempt – I’m even more interested to see what others have pictured and explored.

Hill [Pre-Illinoian Glacial influence, East Central Iowa]

Matt Niebuhr – 2006

Altered Landscapes: Natural Forces is part of a series of photographs in combinations among other things…

This old hill, an apparent remnant of glacial action, is located in Eastern Iowa between the boundaries of the Illinoian glacial limit and the Late Wisconsin glacial limit - likely formed during pre-Illinoian time.

The time interval between 310,000 and 128,000 years ago is referred to informally as Illinoian time.   The time prior to Illinoian time (more than 310,000 years in age) is referred to informally as pre-Illinoian time. Several pre-Illinoian glaciations occurred during pre-Illinoian time.  I grew up in Iowa - much if not quite most of Iowa was at one time or another forever altered by the ebb and flow of glaciers  – way before any human touch – but now just how different it has become from that which I experienced some brief 37 years of my life.  And so the subtle shapes of the land of my childhood – deeply embedded in my most brief existence and memory – have been and will always be altered landscapes.

Come to the show – see what you see – First Friday opening reception is tomorrow night already – Feb 8th – 7 – 10 pm.

The show runs February 8th through 26th.

Newspace Center for Photography
1632 SE 10th Ave. Portland, OR

Monday-Friday 10am-8pm
Saturday 11am-6pm
Sunday 12-8pm

A visit to River Mile 146.1 along the Columbia River

The Columbia River and Gorge, a dam and a fish…

Fish, Bonneville Dam, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon – Matt Niebuhr

I have to admit – I’m a big fan of most renewable energy resources – the trick is to find the balance – is it really a question of offsets?

…examining the threshold at which ordinary visibility ends and perception begins ….

Monday Morning – Rant

, by Matt Niebuhr.

This image pretty much encapsulates a lot of things I’ve been thinking about…. such as transportation / cars – the influence of a mobile society upon its environment. Shopping, Tuesday Morning (whom ever came up with that branding name… sure hit upon a certain kind of banality….) and also… token recycling – which we should all really just be more focused about reducing consumption anyway. And lastly, something thrown in for good health – “Weight Watchers”…

All right.

…examining the threshold at which ordinary visibility ends and perception begins ….

Untitled [Old Forest, Mt Hood National Park]

Untitled [Old Forest, Mt Hood National Park], by Matt Niebuhr.

As a comparison to my previous post on “managed forests”, consider the “preserved” forest – a “natural” environment. It’s easy to spot the differences, the diversity – natural law struggles – cycles of life and death and chance. A somewhat sublime moment of sunshine waiting to nurture a another cycle.

…examining the threshold at which ordinary visibility ends and perception begins ….

Untitled [Managed Forest - near Lost Lake, Oregon]

Untitled [Managed Forest - near Lost Lake, Oregon], by Matt Niebuhr.

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine what the landscape might have been like before it was considered as a manageable resource. What it is now is no less real or authentic however. What you see is what you see – traces of the many forces at play in shaping the environment.

…examining the threshold at which ordinary visibility ends and perception begins ….

Untitled [Access Cut]

Untitled [Access Cut], by Matt Niebuhr.

I’m interested in finding a way of reconciling the manner of ease with which we have made our way into the forests of the northwest. The impact of making these lands conveniently accessible and the footprints we leave behind give me an uneasy feeling. Yet, I am compelled to also drive along these roads and see what can be seen. It is all so new and unusual to me and my “native” Midwest and a move westward into the fascinating edges and layers of landscapes.

I am reading “An American Epic of Discovery – The Lewis and Clark Journals” – an abridgement of the Definitive Nebraska Edition – the abbreviated but “in their own words” journal of exploration of the territories included in the Louisiana Purchase. Thereby of these men’s words I am able to imagine setting off some 200 odd years ago – May 14, 1804 from the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri – on a expedition to find out – to see in a way – just what lies beyond. William Clark’s journal entry according to the reading, is poignantly stated: “fixing for a Start”. And Meriwether Lewis – “Expedition Underway”….

At the same time, I’m looking at the book – “Turning Back” by Robert Adams – and wondering if anything I see today is of any less consequence to report.

…examining the threshold at which ordinary visibility ends and perception begins ….

Portraits: Faces and Profiles of Utility – Photographs from Iowa

Well, in the vein of shameless self promotion, this is an image from a group of photos that I have been working on that to me pose a question about the photographic cliche. Just where does that line fall? I don’t know sometimes – it depends.

Since I’m away from these places now for sometime, the images have become more important to me – perhaps a kind of sentimental transference – who knows.

Village View Farm 1904 [West Central Iowa 2006] by Matt Niebuhr

Untitled [Barn, North elevation, East central Iowa] by Matt Niebuhr

As more time passes, I think these two tap into my own mental “memory image” of what I picture a barn or crib might look like – iconic might be better word to describe them in my opinion. More like an iconic memory.  More here at www.mattniebuhr.com

…examining the threshold at which ordinary visibility ends and perception begins ….