Salt Flat Desert Valley [triptych] May 2005. Ink on paper 32
x 46 in. Courtesy of the artist and Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco.
Lordy Rodriguez uses a kaleidoscopic range of colors to render
natural landforms typically associated with geologic and
topographic maps. Rodriguez, who was born in the Philippines and
lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, carefully crafts his drawings
of desert lakes, drifting silt dunes, volcanic island chains, and
underwater trenches in the tradition of early cartographers, using
ordinary tools such as rulers and felt-tip marking pens. Unlike his
predecessors, however, Rodriguez emphasizes repetitive stylized
patterns and intense high-keyed colors rather than specific sites,
territories, or boundary lines. This approach encourages viewers to
reconsider the history of mapmaking, as well as our tendency to
accept maps as wholly truthful and accurate representations of the
land we all share. This exhibition is presented as part of the Art
+ Environment series, an initiative of the Nevada Museum of Art
that brings together community, artists and scholars to explore the
interaction between people and their environments. On Sunday, July
19, Rodriguez spoke with Colin Robertson, Curator of Education,
about the work installed in Surface Depth. Listen to the artist's
comments about his work here. Press play below.
