By Perrin Smith
The Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center is now exhibiting the work of artist Erin Johnson in their new Contemporary Spotlight Exhibition. The exhibition, entitled “Heavy Water,” opened Oct. 5, and will be on display until March 3, 2019.
“Heavy Water” is being described as an “immersive video and sound installation.” It focuses on environmental pollution caused by the Savannah River Site, which is considered one of the most contaminated places on Earth. In addition, another focus of the installation is a breed of wild dogs, officially named Carolina Dogs, which are native to the area surrounding the Savannah River Site.
The site, which is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy, was created as a nuclear facility in the 1950s. The facility was used to refine nuclear materials for use in nuclear weaponry. Since then, the Savannah River Site has been contracted to focus on cleaning up nuclear contaminants present in the area.
“The Savannah River Site is ripe territory to mine given its divisive history in our region and the opportunities it presents with regard to storytelling and blurring the lines between fact and fiction.” said Rachel Reese, Telfair Museums’ associate curator of modern and contemporary art.
The exhibition is being held in two galleries and features video installations spread across three television screens in addition to two large projections. These installations showcase a wide array of videos and images, all centered around the effects of pollution on the Savannah River Site.
Contemporary artist Erin Johnson has high hopes for the project, stating that she wants the installation to provoke ideas and make viewers contemplate thoughts about environmental stewardship.
“I hope people will think about the kinds of narratives nuclear facilities create,” said Johnson.
Johnson is a digital media artist. Her work has been exhibited in several other galleries and exhibitions, and she was selected by Telfair to be a part of their Contemporary Spotlight Exhibition. The Contemporary Spotlight Exhibition is described by Telfair Museums as “An artist-centered exhibition platform that highlights contemporary art by nationally-emerging artists through small exhibitions and featured loans.”
Telfair Museums declare Johnson’s work as utilizing “fictional and historical narratives to create works blurring lines between real and imagined, rehearsal and performance, and perception and interpretation.”
The “Heavy Water” exhibition will be on view at the Jepson Center until March 3, 2019.
