Light Work and Community Darkrooms are pleased to present Frans’ Dream (Oostvaardersplassen), featuring the the work of Sayler/Morris (the collaborative team Ed Morris and Susannah Sayler). From the artists:

The Oostvaardersplassen is a nature reserve on land reclaimed from the sea. The reserve was designed by Dutch biologist Frans Vera, who believes that Europe was once an open grassland dominated by large herbivores and not the deep, dark woods of fairy tales. Vera set out to create a replica of his primeval landscape in the Oostvaardersplassen.

Vera populated the reserve with red deer, as well as wild horses and cattle bred by scientists to resemble their now-extinct ancestors. Without predators the animal populations spike and crash, depending on what they can find to eat of the landscape itself. Under public pressure, Vera’s team recently began culling the animals and clearing away the corpses.

The Oostvaardersplassen is relatively small (about three by seven miles) and no visitors are allowed inside.

— Sayler/Morris, 2012 Light Work Grant recipient

Susannah Sayler and Edward Morris (Sayler/Morris) live in Syracuse, NY. They are the co-founders of The Canary Project, an ongoing photographic investigation of landscapes throughout the world where scientists are studying the impact of climate change. The project has been exhibited widely in group and solo shows at Exit Art (NYC), Denver Museum of Contemporary Art – Creative Acts that Matter Program (Denver), Everson Museum of Art (Syracuse, NY), ARTECH (Spain), Wave Hill (NYC), Harvard Graduate School of Design (Cambridge, MA), Cleveland Museum of Natural History and others. The Canary Project has collaborated with over thirty artists, scientists, writers, designers, and educators in an effort to deepen public understanding of climate change. Sayler/Morris were the recipients of a 2012 Light Work Grant.

www.canary-project.org