Through the Repellent Fence

NEW DOCS

In the southwestern United States, the earth and sky connect in never-ending expanses. These vistas inspired revolutionary artists like Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt to create the Land Art movement in the 1960s. Making geography their canvas, the artists of this movement highlighted humans’ impermanence within the natural environment and brought a new sense of scale to contemporary art. Through the Repellent Fence intercuts lush images of the movement’s most iconic works with the story of the artist collective Postcommodity, who draw on the tradition of Land Art for a piece about the U.S.-Mexico border. Massive yellow balloons are tethered in a straight line, crossing each side of the border and stretching a mile in either direction. Reinforcing the notion that boundaries are an illusion, the project seeks to unite the cultures of both regions, emphasizing their connection despite the physical barriers that may exist. RM

Director

Sam Wainwright Douglas

Producers

Julianna Brannum, Jeffrey Brown, David Hartstein

Editor

Sam Wainwright Douglas

Cinematographer

David Layton

Release Year

2017

Festival Year

2017

Country

United States, Mexico

Run Time

74 minutes

Subtitled

No