RESERVOIR

This series at its surface looks at how we manage and preserve water. Her movements between LA and Colorado, tracing the watershed from one to the other, watching the levels change over time; entranced her and led to a deeper dive into what language we use, “When we talk about water we are talking about the feminine” she realized.

This series is about witnessing the language that we use when we talk about our planet, which is mostly water. Collectively we refer to earth as Gaia or Mother Earth, nature at some level is defined by feminine pronouns. So it begs the question: How have we treated women and continue to treat women, or things that are feminine? They have been devalued, subjugated, manipulated, and exploited. Our forefathers established a relationship to nature by wanting to bend it to their will, control it and overall use it towards their ends. When I say our forefathers, I mean the patriarchial-industrial machine. Because who profits from all of these naturally occurring resources, like water?

Water rights are complicated but you know who owns most of the water rights in America, men. Why? Partly because women couldn’t buy land until 1974, and to have “rights” to water you have to buy land. It is hard to get in on the water game when land was purchased and “grandfathered” in. A perfect example of sexism in our language; you couldn’t grandmother it in, land passed through male heirs. Everything passed by women, like water, to men. So when we talk about water we are talking about the exploitation of the feminine. When we talk about nature and resources we are seeing something unbalanced. These Reservoirs are the container I have created to hold this difficult conversation…..