Meghann Riepenhoff (American, b. 1979) Waters of the Americas: US Geological Survey #410401112134801, Record Low Water Level, 4192’, Antelope Island Causeway A (Great Salt Lake, UT, 8.27.18), 2018 copy

Everything's a Little Bit Wild: Meghann Riepenhoff and Jon Mooallem

Presented by Yossi Milo Gallery


Date & Time:

Saturday, July 27, 2024
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location:

Seattle Art Fair Christie's Theater


This panel offers an examination of our place within the natural world, and a deep look at the ways in which we observe it. Together, artist Meghann Riepenhoff and author Jon Mooallem will discuss their shared interest in environments impacted by human intervention, about responding to catastrophic environmental scenarios local to the Pacific Northwest and internationally, and about hope and chance. In particular, they will cover Riepenhoff’s recent work from an expedition to the Marshall Islands, an area critically affected by climate change and a landscape deeply impacted by the legacy of the United States’ nuclear testing of the 20th century. The panelists together address the question: How do we locate paths forward to protect our planet when so much of our environment is subject to change? 

Meghann Riepenhoff makes large-scale cyanotype works that directly collaborate with sources of water in the natural environment. Waves, ice, wind, and rain physically inscribe the surfaces of her photographic materials, resulting in dynamic records of evolving landscapes around the world.  

Jon Mooallem is the author of Wild Ones, a book examining the relationship between humans and endangered species through stories of conservation. Through this lens, Mooallem reflects on the role animals play not only in the Earth’s ecosystems, but in the human imagination and spirit. 

About the panelists:

With her cameraless photographs, Meghann Riepenhoff (b. 1979; Atlanta, GA) depicts the ebb and flow of time, examining humans’ relationship with the environment and our impermanent place within it. The artist creates cyanotypes, a process that entails exposing chemically treated paper to ultraviolet light. Riepenhoff places the paper on the shorelines of rivers and oceans, letting wind, water, and sediment imprint on the paper’s surface. Other times, the artist exposes the paper to rain or snow, revealing crystals, droplets, and kaleidoscopic patterns created by the elements.

Meghann Riepenhoff’s work is in the collections of major public institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; Havard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among others. Her work has been presented internationally in exhibitions across the globe, including at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR; Denver Art Museum, CO; C/O Berlin, Germany; and Aperture Foundation, New York, NY. In 2018, the artist was selected as the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow. She has published two monographs with Radius Books and Yossi Milo Gallery. Riepenhoff earned her BFA in Photography from the University of Georgia, Athens, and her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. The artist divides her time between Bainbridge Island, WA, and San Francisco, CA.

Jon Mooallem is the author of three acclaimed non-fiction books, Wild Ones, This is Chance! and Serious Face, and the nonfiction novella American Hippopotamus. He spent nearly two decades as a writer for the New York Times Magazine and has contributed to many other magazines and podcasts including Wired, This American LifeThe Daily, 99% Invisible and Radiolab. He’s also spoken regularly about his work at venues like TED and Pop-Up Magazine and occasionally collaborates on live projects with members of the Decemberists. He lives on Bainbridge Island with his family.

Meghann Riepenhoff (American, b. 1979) Waters of the Americas: US Geological Survey #410401112134801, Record Low Water Level, 4192’, Antelope Island Causeway A (Great Salt Lake, UT, 8.27.18), 2018 Sixteen Dynamic Cyanotypes Dimensions, each element: approximately 19″ x 24″ (48.5 x 61 cm) Overall, installed: approximately 76″ x 96″ (193 x 245 cm) Unique. © Meghann Riepenhoff, Courtesy Yossi Milo, New York