brooks dierdorff
by Jenn Allen
Creating Awareness
“ What is the difference between going to a national park or going to Disneyland ?” At fi rst , the question might seem trivial , but through his ongoing series , Aesthetics of Eden , Brooks Dierdorff shows us that this question is more important than we imagined . construction project — though the unsightly construction site is often still seen through the printed image . By taking this construction mesh and displaying it in a gallery , Dierdorff challenges the way the viewer interacts with imagery . In regards to this , he says :
Dierdorff has been collecting research for this series for years now . A thought that inspired him when he lived in California and Oregon , still remains relevant in Orlando . Early on , Dierdorff was drawn to the images of Ansel Adams , who is most recognizable by his classic black-and-white photographs of Yosemite National Park . Adams would spend days in one location to capture the perfect image , and then use darkroom techniques to “ take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships .” These images are now glorifi ed as the true beauty of nature , but does the world that Adams created even exist ? Dierdorff studies photography by looking at how people , as a culture , present nature . Nature photographs tend to represent classic beauty and solitude . They show nature existing without man . Do these places exist in reality , or only through the medium of photography ?
Dierdorff is interested in how , as a whole , we anticipate nature to always appear to be untouched , because that is the way we choose to represent it . Whether visualized in textbooks , social media , or advertisements , nature continues to be idealized through photographs . For his piece The Jungle ( 2016 ), Dierdorff references aspects of advertising by creating billboard-like frames for his images printed onto mesh material . This material is similar to the construction fences used to present images of the to-be-completed
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“ In the context of the gallery , you are seeing these images , but you are also seeing the context of the gallery space around it , or people walking behind it . Hopefully , with these elements , you are more aware of your own viewing . The moiré pattern makes me think of my own personal way of moving . It prioritizes the person looking at the art . It creates an awareness .”
As a contemporary artist , Dierdorff ’ s goal is to raise consciousness for viewing art . By creating sculptural imagery , below , detail of Remote Stock , inkjet print ; above , Remote Stock , inkjet print the viewer is forced to interact with the piece , which makes the viewing experience unique to every person . With his work , he creates a moment of contemplation . “ It is important now more than ever to have a moment when you are thinking critically about things . Maybe it ’ s idealistic , but I believe in that , and what art can do ,” he explains . Gallery spaces are quiet spaces of contemplation to him . He describes it as “ almost like going to church .”
Entering a gallery space , whether it is a classic white cube , a museum , or a converted space used to display art , there is an expectation of solace . “ Making these spaces available to a large amount of people should be the goal ,” Dierdorff says . Some artists make it their goal to bring art to the public , but as a community we should all be working together to make
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