Fata Morgana , Inkjet print , vinyl mesh
art more accessible and approachable . As a professor , Dierdorff has encountered a broad range of students in his photography classes . They begin the semester with a preconceived notion of what they believe art and photography should be , which is similar to the way the general population views art and photography . The overstimulation of commercial imagery has changed the way we view what is “ beautiful and good ”; Dierdorff is not interested in recreating the same aesthetics that have already been replicated time and time again . His goal as a teacher and an artist is to challenge the perception of what art is .
Through his research of national state parks , Dierdorff has discovered the impossible task that the parks have created for themselves . They strive to create parks that perfectly preserve nature while catering to the park visitors ’ wants . The title of the series Aesthetics of Eden comes from Florida parks
27 specifi cally . Dierdorff explains , “ The state parks here will reference the day that Ponce de León landed in Florida . They are trying to restore Florida to what it was before non-natives arrived . It ’ s interesting because it ’ s an impossible goal , it will never happen , and they know it will never happen , but there is a desire to go back to this Eden .”
These parks are presented as nature spaces to the general public , but they are actually very
Drying Racks , Inkjet print , wood , mesh heavily constructed , much like a theme park . Like theme parks , the national and state parks direct what the visitor sees . They cater to their clientele ’ s wants , and prioritize specifi c plants and animals over others to keep people interested , and carve out paths in the land that will be both safe and enjoyable for visitors . Land and wildlife management remains a constant thread in Dierdorff ’ s work . With Remote Stock , he reveals an image of a small seaplane releasing a stock of fi sh while midair . In 2013 , he worked with High Desert Test Sites , an organization founded by Andrea Zittel that “ challenges traditional conventions of ownership , property , and patronage ,” and created Mojave Desert Mule Deer Refuge . This installation is a fully functioning mule deer habitat in accordance with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife . Motion-sensored cameras were also set up to photograph any mule deer that interacted with the refuge .
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