Barry Underwood’s work is best described as a minimalistic look at how people use and abuse the landscape. However, he does this subtly by making his works aesthetically pleasing and unassuming so that people are initially drawn in and only uncover the piece’s deeper meaning upon reflection. The bright, simple shapes that permeate many of his works are just a facade for deeper environmental messages. The perfect shapes and artificial lights are a reflection of manmade creations and juxtapose the natural lines they cover up illustrating how humans have taken advantage of the environment for our own gain.

Underwood’s creative process either starts with an idea or a landscape which he then builds upon into a fully fleshed out concept. After finding an area and idea, he uses digital tools to create a concept sketch of the build that will guide him as he tests and makes the structures to be used in the final shot. His typical photograph utilizes EL wire and long exposures that can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 4 hours to get the vibrant glowing effect characteristic of his work. To finish, he will sometimes use photoshop to remove support scaffolding, but he prefers to do as much in frame as possible to minimize visible remnants of his build.

The following piece is part of the linear construction series of photographs. It is from a man-made lake in Ohio created in 1852 which was disappearing due to a leak in a dam. It raised questions on whether it should be left alone, which would be better for nature, or fixed to the way people liked it. Underwood thought this was a paradox since even returning it to nature is a human choice, and he chose to make a mobius strip inspired shape as a result.

This image is from the MacDowell fellowship in Peterborough, NH and is inspired by a quote that came from a fellow resident about writing step by step, line by line. The location was originally the path used to transport ice from a small pond back to the house on the property which still exists long after people have stopped using it. Rope was strung down the path from trees, and the photo was taken at twilight so that there was some light to illuminate the rest of the scene rather than having pitch blackness.

This following image was taken at Center for Land Use Interpretation: Wendover Residency Program in Utah which focuses on the history of land much like Underwood himself. This specific piece demonstrates how land is divided and surveyed especially among the western US. Furthermore, this was a nuclear testing site, which adds to the idea of humans abusing and mismanaging the land.

This last piece, which is a part of his scene’s series, of a perfectly straight line across the forest, is meant to symbolize the demolition of trees. It refers to the idea of marking trees to be cut and gets the viewer to imagine what it would look like to remove the tops of all the vegetation. Additionally, mankind’s presence is heightened by the red and yellow glow that peaks through the trees which was made from cars passing by the shoot.

A closer look at the making of Blue Line can be found in the following video. https://youtu.be/370agvPQV9w

Works Cited

“Artist In Residence – Barry Underwood.” YouTube, 11 Aug. 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=370agvPQV9w.

“Interview: Barry Underwood.” Open Lab.

Rosenberg, David. “Natural Landscapes Turned Surreal by Artificial Light.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 27 June 2014, slate.com/culture/2014/06/barry-underwood-scenes-is-a-study-of-the-environment-told-through-natural-and-artificial-light-photos.html.

Underwood, Barry. “About.” Barry Underwood, www.barryunderwood.com/artist-statement. Accessed 4 Sept. 2024.

Underwood, Barry. “Art & Environmentalism.” Enviromental Illuminations, 26 Oct. 2023, barryunderwood.substack.com/p/art-  and-environmentalism.

Underwood, Barry. “Before the Shutter Clicks.” Environmental Illuminations, Environmental Illuminations, 30 Aug. 2023, barryunderwood.substack.com/p/before-the-shutter-clicks.

Underwood, Barry. “Making Art in the Snow.” Environmental Illuminations, Environmental Illuminations, 28 Dec. 2023, barryunderwood.substack.com/p/making-art-in-the-snow.

Underwood, Barry. “The Paradox of Horseshoe Lake.” Environmental Illuminations, Environmental Illuminations, 21 Nov.2023, barryunderwood.substack.com/p/the-paradox-of-horseshoe-lake.

Underwood, Barry. “Wendover II (for John).” Full Fathom Five, www.fullfathomfiveshow.com/underwood. Accessed 4 Sept. 2024.