May 20, 1999
Well-known photographer comes to Lee Vining!
Press Contact:
Kay Ogden, Marketing Director
Mono Lake Committee
(760) 647-6595
For Immediate Release
On Sunday, May 30th, well-known photographer Warren Marr will attend the opening reception for his show ‘Transformations: the Tufa of Mono Lake’. The reception will be at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore from 4-6 p.m., and light refreshments will be served.
Marr is a respected landscape photographer especially well known for his spectacular panoramic images. His images are unique in their Zen-like simplicity, soulful spirit, frequently strong colors, and understated depth, all of which which bring the viewer into the landscape as they celebrate the earth’s natural beauty.
"The enduring icons of Mono Lake’s tufa are symbolic to me of transformation. While they were underwater, they were unseen. Above water, they became famous, but were subject to weathering, which wore them down. Now, as the water rises and covers them again, they are disappearing, and will survive mostly in our imagination and in photographs. The Cibachrome prints in this exhibit are a reminder of the Mono Lake Committee’s most lasting accomplishment: spearheading the change of public attitudes toward water use, and the acceptance that we in the Western United States live in a desert, and therefore had better utilize our water resources wisely," said Marr.
When asked about the pieces in the show, Marr commented that "the creation of these images was marked by an unusual confluence of events that makes one wonder about the way the world works. I had hiked across the frozen muck on the land bridge to photograph Negit Island, and was walking back toward Black Point through sage after sunset. For some reason, I glanced to my right where an immensely huge full moon hung glowing just above the eastern horizon. Being alone, the effect of this seemingly animate orb literally knocked me on my backside. The next evening I returned to the western shoreline looking for a way to combine tufa with what I had seen the night before. ‘Tufa & Moon’ was the result."
The images of "Transformations: the Tufa of Mono Lake" were taken during 1989 and 1990, mostly in December, during the years when the lake levels were nearly at their lowest. As such, they are now historical records of the uniquely fragile tufa formations that have made Mono Lake world famous. They were taken with a 6 x 17 cm large format panorama camera. "Dusk, Mono Lake" was a winner of the 1990 Sierra Club photography contest, and "Tufa & Moon" is the large image hanging in the Mono Lake Committee’s Information Center and Bookstore (graciously donated by Marr) and the focus of Marr’s new poster.
Marr explains his connection to the region by stating that his "affinity for Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra comes naturally, as they really are part of my heritage. My Great-Great Grandfather came to the gold rush fields in the early 1850s, and could very well have traversed these areas. I’ve camped in various parts of the Sierra since I was a small child. My father fly fished the Walker River in the 1930s, and as our children were growing up my wife and I took them to Tuolomne Meadows every summer to climb and hike."
While Marr’s current show focuses on Mono Lake, his body of work encompasses views from around the world, including pure landscapes, conceptual images, fine art and advertising stock. Marr is represented by Panoramic Images in Chicago and The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley. More of Marr’s work can be viewed on his web site at: www.warrenmarr.com.
"Transformations: the Tufa of Mono lake" will be available for viewing and purchase at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore in Lee Vining from May 30th through October 31st. Join Marr and others as they celebrate the opening of this remarkable show on Sunday, May 30th, from 4-6 pm. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, phone the Mono Lake Committee (760) 647-6595.
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The text of this press release may be downloaded from www.monolake.org/press
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Last Updated January 29, 2007
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