Sawdust Mountain
Eirik Johnson
Aperture
Co published by Henry Art Gallery
Hardcover
144 pages
285 x 285 mm
2009
ISBN 9781597110914
A culmination of four years photographing throughout Oregon, Washington and Northern California, “Sawdust Mountain” focuses on the tenuous relationship between industries reliant upon natural resources and the communities they support. Timber and salmon are the bedrock of a regional Northwest identity, but the environmental impact of these declining industries has been increasingly at odds with the contemporary ideal of sustainability. “In his moving group portrait of a community of loggers and fisherman in the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Johnson, a native son, documents the precariousness of life in this corner of America. At the same time, his photographs capture the defiance of those who have made certain choices–rural solitude instead of an urban economy–and are content (or not) with that bargain.” — Richard B. Woodward –Wall Street Journal.
About the Artist
Photographic artist Eirik Johnson (b. 1974) makes work examining the intersections of contemporary environmental, social, and economic issues both in America and abroad. Employing various modes of presentation from photobooks to experiential photo and sound-based installation, Johnson’s photographic projects explore the marks and connections formed in the friction of this complicated relationship. Johnson received his BFA and BA from the University of Washington, Seattle.
eirikjohnson.com
(source: https://www.eirikjohnson.com/about)
About the Publisher
Aperture, a not-for-profit foundation, connects the photo community and its audiences with the most inspiring work, the sharpest ideas, and with each other—in print, in person, and online. Created in 1952 by photographers and writers as ‘common ground for the advancement of photography’, Aperture today is a multi-platform publisher and centre for the photo community. From their base in New York, they produce, publish, and present a program of photography projects, locally and internationally.
aperture.org
(source: https://aperture.org/about/)
The Henry is a museum for contemporary art and ideas. “We believe in the power of art to challenge norms, expand hearts, and build community. As the only museum dedicated to contemporary art in our region, the Henry is internationally recognized for groundbreaking exhibitions, for being on the cutting edge of contemporary art and culture, and for championing artists at every level of creation. We seek a world where lives are enhanced by first-hand experiences with living artists and original works of art, and where dialogue about the complex ideas of our time is encourage”
henryart.org
(source: https://henryart.org/about/about-the-henry)
