For many, myself included, greenspaces and parks are the most practical way to reconcile with nature—to find refuge from hectic, metropolitan area living. They are places of recreation and relaxation where we, along with family and friends, congregate on
For many, myself included, greenspaces and parks are the most practical way to reconcile with nature—to find refuge from hectic, metropolitan area living. They are places of recreation and relaxation where we, along with family and friends, congregate on the weekend. Yet they offer only but a convenient deception of undeveloped, set-apart landscape. We are reminded of this artifice in the photographs of Christine Holtz and Lauren S. Zadikow, who scoured the public greenspaces of Pittsburgh, PA in search of illegal dumpsites. Each image in the series is paired with data that alludes to large quantities of unseen detritus. Despite this information, we are lulled into a sense of denial—that out of sight means out of mind. The images are quiet, familiar, and picturesque. They beckon for us to stay a while. Perhaps this would be possible if we were left in naiveté. This sense of unease is the precise feeling that Holtz and Zadikow wish to create. By informing us of what lies beyond the romanticized frame, we understand that there exists a problem that we cannot ignore, but must combat—if in fact we do wish to stay a while.
