Revealing Territory: Photographs of the Southwest

by Mark Klett, Thomas W. Southall, Patricia Nelson Limerick

In this brilliant but strangely unsettling contribution to the field of landscape studies, which accompanies a traveling exhibition, Klett sees people as part of the natural landscape. His photographs (115, five in color) examine the way people have occupied and experienced this land and the evidence they have left of their presence. Patricia Limerick discusses the photographs in light of new definitions of the West, and Thomas Southall traces the evolution of Klett's photography. 11<1/2>x9". Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Paperback

First published March 1, 1992

Reviews

[Robyn]

3.5 stars // Mark Klett was not a name I was aware of before discovering this book at my library. But I was drawn in by the subject of the American southwest.

Containing 115 plates (nearly all B&W), 16 small historical photos, essays by Patricia Nelson Limerick and Thomas W. Southall, and a short afterword by Klett himself, this book was a worthwhile read. At first glance, I was not taken with many of these photos. But as I read the essays, my understanding of his endeavor grew.

Many photographers use trickery to preserve the pristine nature of landscape. By omitting signs of human touch, development, or destruction, nature can be seen as holy and pure -- this is precisely the route that Ansel Adams took. Klett, on the other hand, includes within his frames the participation of man. Whether it is a Stetson hat, a roadway, a saguaro riddled with bullets, or the dark shadow of a single man, our inclusion in these photographs presents a different way of seeing the land. Oftentimes it is a less romantic perspective, but perhaps in its brutality (or innocence, depending on your mindset), it remains a truer image of The West.

Edward Abbey fans will appreciate Plate 77: Ed Abbey taking notes in Turkey Pen ruins, Grand Gulch, Utah, 5/17/88.