No single event in the last 100 years has had such a dramatic and lasting effect on Bishop than the draining of Owens Valley. In providing more water for Los Angeles the result here was the loss of a vast fertile land. Here too, was a great loss of life and the loss of a great life. And here in the drying fields, a war of rights was waged whose embers still glow undoused even today. These are historical facts.
Don't get me wrong; Bishop is an incredibly friendly town surrounded by majestic beauty. Yet the town was forever changed when the water rights changed hands.
'Exploring History through Murals' is the charter of the Bishop Mural Society, and the charter of this artist is to explore that history and express with fresh infusion a fabric that is this place. The tapestry of Bishop is dynamic, woven with light and dark threads. When the curtain opens in 1913, it is water that has the starring role.
In this piece entitled Drain, an agricultural Shangri La appears as a mural within a mural. This vision of the valley's past derives from old paintings and photos, book descriptions, interviews, and visits to the less effected areas of Owens Valley. Breathing sweet orchard blossoms while gazing at the lush glory of this place 100 years ago, this depiction is not meant to portray a specific vantage point yet rather allow the viewer an ambient experience of the ecology.
If your eyes are diverted to the drainpipe, this is by design. Like a black hole that allows no light to escape, the protruding drainpipe absorbs all color in its proximity. The odd shape surrounding the pipe is actually a preserved section of the under painting, but conceptually it serves as an after image, or 'ghost blotch'. It is a stain that is created by the absence of color information - or metaphorically, of life. Written words like 'water' and 'tree' or even 'green' are some of the sketch notes, but historically these are the line items that have virtually disappeared into the drain.
Special thanks to friends Jerry and Debbie Core, and Director Barbara Williams of the Bishop Mural Society, who have supported and defended this project beyond all expectations. Respectful thanks to the late David Williams for inspiring this subject. Also special thanks to artists Marc Spijkerbosch, Dong Sun Kim, and Fernanda Gonzalez. I have never been an island, but to have been surrounded by this international team of such great artist friends is like paradise.
On October 6, 2005 the regional director of the LADWP (Los Angeles Department of Water & Power) fired-off a threatening letter about this mural to Bishop City officials and the Mural Society. It created quite a stir. Since the story came out in the New York Times on November 3, articles have appeared worldwide, as far away as the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian National Daily Newspaper.
Please read or view more from the obtained selections below.
Press Coverage:
The Inyo Register (Tuesday, October 11, 2005) New mural makes for a 'deeply offended' LADWP
The Inyo Register - Letters To The Editor ( 10/13/05 | 10/25/05 | 11/01/05 | 11/03/05 | 11/19/05)
The Mammoth Times (Tuesday, November 1, 2005) Owens Valley Water War History on Display
The New York Times (Thursday, November 3, 2005) Mural Comments About Water, and a City Doesn't Like It
The Sacramento Bee (Sunday, November 6, 2005) Editorial: L.A.'s artless water grab - Both the Sacramento and Fresno Bee thought the Drainpipe was real! The Inyo Register (Saturday, November 12, 2005) Beyond the Owens Valley
The Inyo Register (Saturday, November 19, 2005) Mural controversy or red herring?
The LA Times (Tuesday, November 22, 2005) Water colors.
TV Coverage:
Eastern Sierra News, TV33 - Video1 (2.94M WMV)
Eastern Sierra News, TV33 - Video2 (2.02M WMV)
Eastern Sierra News, TV33 - Video3 (5.82M WMV)
Eastern Sierra News, TV33 - Video4 (1.89M WMV)
Eastern Sierra News, TV33 - Video5 (1.95M WMV)
Eyewitness News, ABC 7 - Video6 (3.66M WMV)
