Center for Land Use Interpretation

Center for Land Use Interpretation
Wendover, Utah
August 31 - September 8, 2012

Golden Bear, a collaborative project by Cecilia McKinnon and Katelyn DeLuca on the Bonneville Speedway.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Land Arts of the American West arrived at Wendover, Utah, on August 31st, in the midst of an enormous windstorm and sudden downpour. Taking shelter, after trying to lash down windblown tents in the pouring rain, covered with mud, salt crust, and dripping wet, one student spoke what many were thinking, "welcome to hell..."

The Great Basin filled with several inches of rain, spreading out across the horizon with mirages of accumulated alkaline waters. All surfaces collected a topsy-turvy inversion of panoramic topography turned on its head, re-imaging the void into a lake of opposites and primeval possibility.

Salt Flat Floods - Center for Land Use Interpretation - South Base, at the Wendover Air Base.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Our objective here in Wendover is three-fold. To tour the environs with Matt Coolidge from the Center for Land Use Interpretation, find moments to work on multiple and spontaneous art projects, and undertake an intensive, Utopian-Wendover, collaborative project, with guest artist, Nils Norman.

Matt Coolidge, of CLUI, takes us on a tour of a new exhibition project inside a historic Wendover Air Base building.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Skirting the salt flats, Coolidge led us through multiple CLUI exhibition spaces, abandoned military habitats, the Clean Livin' project at South Base where previous Land Art students have worked on intensive projects in collaboration with Simparch, and the partly renovated Wendover Air Base.

South Base from the tower, which artist Rob Ray is currently rebuilding as a soundscape environment.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Airport Fire Chief, James, showing us a bomb loading pit at the historic Wendover Air Base.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Missile fin with the Enola Gay Hanger in the background.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Inside the partially renovated Enola Gay Hanger at the Wendover Air Base.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Tour bus through the Wendover Air Base.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Wendover Air Base
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Salvage sheet metal for a Bomber renovation project at Wendover Air Base.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann

Amelia Zaraftis and Emily Vosburgh working on Solving salinity one sweep at a time. Bonneville Speedway.
Photo Jeanette Hart-Mann and Heike Qualitz

Heading out to Bonneville Speedway, the lake effect dissuaded many auto-speed enthusiasts from testing the submerged track. But Land Arts students and visiting artists alike took full advantage of the surreal opportunity to explore the Speedway in its aquatic and crystalline state.

- jeanette hart-mann