Under the Highlands, 2022 with Jonathan Traviesa
Exhibited at Tempus Projects
Under the Highlands is a photo-based series that concentrates on the geologic phenomena of the Lake Wales Ridge. Historically known as the highest elevation in peninsular Florida, this landmass has maintained some of the rarest plant specimens on the planet due to its arid landscape and proximity to the sea. Set in the very near future, the installation proposes a time when Florida is nearly underwater except for the Highlands. In times of environmental shipwreck, the artists imagine this layered topography as the last inhabitable plane, a scorched island where ancient species continue to thrive and evidence of the past is inscribed in limestone.
The images of limestone formations were made throughout a two-year expedition throughout the state of Florida. From the Caverns in Marianna to Blowing Rocks Preserve, and Windley Key Fossil Reef, Molina + Traviesa are drawn to limestone as an organic structure that maps layers of deep geologic time.
In an exhibition setting, prints of botanical specimens endemic to the Highlands are encapsulated in sandy mounds on the ground. On the surface, sea-faring words like Pelagic (inhabiting the upper layers of the open sea) and Adrift (to float without being steered) were inscribed in sand from the Lake Wales Ridge. The plant species on the Highlands are among the rarest on the planet due to centuries of evolution amidst an arid landscape. At a time when our own survival seems questionable, these resilient species can perhaps teach us an important lesson in endurance and adaptation.
In opposition to the organic elements featured throughout the series, Air Conditioned Sun I-VII provides a bit of “shade”. Triangular vinyl mesh shapes are hung over the viewer, reminiscent of a ship’s sails and domestic patio coverings. Printed on the surface are images of a fake sun on the grills of air conditioning units. This gesture serves as an allusion to humankind’s desire to control the climate and our reliance on technology in order to survive exponentially warming temperatures.
The video work Shipwrecked, embraces the trope of “the last man on a deserted island.” In this video, the artist Jonathan Traviesa, nephew of a retired sea captain is seen tying ship line knots and casting them into an imaginary sea. As the video unfolds we see that the character’s line lands onto the ground instead of water, and act that alludes to an anchorless delirium and a preoccupation with survival on inhospitable terrain.
