The Liquid Border: The Rio Grande from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico

by Jonathan Reeve Price

In a series of images, Jonathan Reeve Price explores the liquid border—the imaginary line drawn down the middle of the Rio Grande as it passes between Texas and Mexico. Starting with topographical maps from the United States Geological Service, and satellite pictures from NASA, Price zooms in on the ripples in the river, the steep cliffs and undulating desert on both banks, and the odd unnatural beauty of the digital representations seen from 30,000 feet. His images and texts may help us imagine the people struggling across the river, and the trackers from the Border Patrol waiting on the American side. This exhibition is an homage to all their treks. "How do you cut a river in half? You can’t, of course—which makes the paradox of the Rio Grande even more painful in Price’s thoughtful, poignant new book of poetry and digital art. The poet refers to that river, which makes up much of the physical border between the United States and its southern “Throughout most of the river’s run to the Gulf of Mexico,” Price writes, “the border is in the middle of the flow, invisible, but real.” …Price’s volume seeks to map that liminal space in imagery and verse. Roughly half the book is given over to digital images; in them, the artist stitches together cartographs, photographs, and satellite images, many of them altered, to evoke the strange space between the two countries. Price calls these pieces “imaginary” maps and argues that they document “something close to reality, but not all there.” Accompanying the visuals are roughly a dozen thoughtful, poignant poems, many of which capture the torturous experience of those seeking entry into America. …Price is as adept with his poetry as he is with his pictures, and the combination is a moving testimony to the struggle of those who yearn for a better life elsewhere. A mournful, beautiful, and original synthesis of word and image."--Kirkus Reviews Jonathan Reeve Price, who started his career with a Doctorate of Fine Arts from Yale, has exhibited map works at numerous galleries and museums. In addition to his conceptual and public art, Price has written books on subjects such as video art, theater, and computer software. At Apple, he created the style guide for documentation. His high-tech clients are an A-to-Z of major computer companies in the U.S. and Japan. He lives next to the Rio Grande as it flows through New Mexico.

79 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2020