U.S. and Mexico Border
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In J.B. Jackson’s first issue of Landscape magazine, Jackson describes human geography by quoting French geographer Maurice le Lannou:
“We have before us a picture, constantly being retouched, that is vigorously composed of spots of light and zones of shadow, of remarkable convergences of lines of forces at certain points, of road networks sometimes loose, sometimes closely knit …”
Today, conversations about the Texas–Mexico border are about fears projected onto a wall. I’m interested in a different picture, one made through life overcoming misconceptions and prejudice. Is it possible to turn the transgression that the closed border and its objects represent into an open dialogue about reciprocity? Can we convert this topographic aggression into a more appropriate demarcation and inspiration for people on both sides of the river?
To find out, I visited all twenty-eight border crossings, beginning in Brownsville and proceeding upstream to El Paso. I took photographs as I went. These images were taken on the north side of the Rio Grande. The framed distance allowed the lens to capture the cultural clashes, adaptations, tolerances, and acceptances within these vast cultural landscapes. Through my detached lens, the landscapes can be read for their juxtapositions of ordinary and extraordinary conditions that occur when living with an intrusive wall, fence, or checkpoint. I also met people who reside in these places. Their stories are accompanied by a narrative map and photographs of their daily routines.