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October 24, 2009
One of the core exhibitions at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale was Drex Brooks, currently Professor of Art at Weber State University. Some of his work forms part of the Legacy Project, which builds a global exchange on the enduring consequences of the many historical tragedies of the 20th century.
Drex Brooks, Pyramid Lake Battlefield, Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada, 1988, From the project Sweet Medicine Gelatin silver print
In his Sweet Medicine project, Drex Brooks photographed historical sites where conflict between Native Americans and white settlers occurred.
What we see are the photographs of sites as they appear today—landscapes extraordinary at times, ordinary or desolate at others, but always beautiful as photographs—we are aware of the tumultuous skirmishes, battles, massacres, and atrocities that real people went through a hundred or two hundred years ago before treaties were struck on these sites.
Drex Brooks, Council Grounds at the Great Treaty of Horse Creek, Scott's Bluff County, Nebraska, 1987 From the project Sweet Medicine, Gelatin silver print
The text accompanying each photograph was patiently researched and excerpted by the author/photographer from historic documents of treaties, speeches, and other records. The melding of the photographs and texts causes an emotional response for most viewers/readers.
The Biennial exhibition showed some of Brooks more recent work:
Drex Brooks, Yard Sale, Astoria, Oregon, date unknown,Color photograph; archival inkjet print edition of 8
I'm not sure whether the recent work is part of a project, and, if so, what sort of project that is.
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