The Red Desert, Photographs by Martin Stupich

Martin Stupich’s photo entitled,“Newly filled trench with berm of excess soil, along forty-two-inch cross country gas pipeline right of way near Grenville Dome, Carbon County, Wyoming 2006,” illustrates human impact in the largest unfenced expanse in the lower 48 states, a 15,000 square mile basin in southern Wyoming known as the Red Desert.  Stupich’s photo essay of the region will be on display at the Park County Public Library during January and February 2012. In 23 captioned photographs, he challenges the notion that this is a place of little value and encourages the viewer to look again at the wonder and wildness of the Red Desert. Art Express, University of Wyoming Art Museum outreach program, provides the exhibition to regional libraries, schools, community centers, galleries, and museums. Most of the cost is borne by UW’s Touring Exhibition Service celebrating 25 years of service throughout Wyoming. To learn more, visit www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum.  Stupich collaborated with a team of scientists and scholars across varied disciplines to chronicle the fragility of a region under pressure by natural gas development. The resulting book, Red Desert  History of Place is a collection of natural history essays edited by Annie Proulx and complemented by Stupich’s photo-essay. The book is shelved in the Park County Public Library under 507.787 RED DESERT.