Jan. 25, 2023
CWU art exhibition explores impact highways have had on the land and humans
One of CWU art student Charlie Tadlock's photographs included in a new exhibition at Randall Hall.
The Central Washington University Art + Design department will be hosting a Master of Fine Arts mid-thesis exhibition by Charlie Tadlock over the next two weeks in Gallery 231.
Vast and Solitary Lands examines the impacts that highways have had on our landscape by turning the camera to the spaces on the side of the road. The exhibition includes recent photographs and installation work by Tadlock, a second-year graduate student in the Art + Design department. He describes the work as “an examination of the homogenization of the American landscape, particularly surrounding the highway.”
“To me, the road is a place of peace,” he said. “In my work, I examine my personal relationship with the road, as a place of meditation, contemplation, choice, and a liminal space between where I have come from and where I will go next.”
An opening reception for Vast and Solitary Lands will be Tuesday, January 31, from 5-7 p.m. in Gallery 231, on the second floor of Randall Hall. The exhibition — which will be on display weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through February 9 — is one of two MFA Mid-Thesis exhibitions taking place during winter quarter and marks the halfway point for graduate students in the department.
Tadlock is a visual artist originally from Seattle and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Photography from Montana State University. His current work spans a variety of media, combining still and moving images, along with bookmaking, sculpture, and installation. His work is included in permanent collections at both Montana State and the University of Wyoming. He has exhibited his work across the country, including multiple solo and collaborative exhibitions during his time in Montana.
If you have questions about Tadlock’s work, email him at charles.tadlock@cwu.edu.