Artist at Jean Dry Lake, December 9, 2022

Rachelle Reichert
Artist at Jean Dry Lake, December 9, 2022, 2023
Graphite on paper
Courtesy of the artist

The artwork "Artist at Jean Dry Lake, December 9, 2022" was created by referencing satellite images of Jean Dry Lake during the time the artist was present in the landscape on that day. Unlike well known Land Artists Michael Heizer and Jean Tinguely, who created artworks at this site decades prior, Reichert leaves no trace on the landscape to create this artwork. Alternatively, her drawing of Jean Dry Lake and the surrounding area demand consideration of satellites monitoring the earth in the sky overhead. The act of photo-realistically drawing allows for the circulation of the proprietary images to a broader audience without the permissions associated with sharing the images themselves, bringing to the forefront questions of access and private and public land use.

The mediated position of the aerial view is contrasted with the knowledge that the artist is present in the landscape that she is depicting.The rendering of the image in time and attention demands a further intimacy with both the site and the technologies used to monitor the earth. Reichert grounds the viewer with the companion artwork, "Jean Dry Lake, Squared," created from material collected at the site. This counterpoint invites the viewer to regard the materiality of the site.