Heartlands | Lisa Candela
The Kiss, Black Hills, South Dakota, 2014
Signed, dated, titled and numbered in pencil on sheet verso
Archival pigment print
24 x 35" matted to 30 x 40"
Edition of 3
Written by Nicole Miller
This Saturday, The Hulett Collection presents Lisa Candela’s Heartlands, an immersive exploration of the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in Western South Dakota. These sacred grounds are the ancestral homeland of the Lakota tribe. Where Candela honors them by embracing the healing medicine of nature in its purest form – native wildlife, her work features wild horses, buffalo, bison, elk, and big-horned sheep in their natural habitats. The sincerity of Candela’s connection to these majestic animals is expressed and understood through film photography. As an American analog photographer, Candela appreciates the benefits of film, stressing that a subject’s emotion is translated more powerfully through the high dynamic range of film.
Abbey Road, Black Hills, South Dakota, 2014
Signed, dated, titled and numbered in pencil on sheet verso
Archival pigment print
24 x 35" matted to 30 x 40"
Edition of 3
The romantic essence of the Black Hills is illustrated in the color photograph above. Four horses gallop in a line across a sprawling field. The pale blue sky and patchy brown-green grass alone are stunning, providing the viewer with familiarity and comfort. Still, the wild horses flying whimsically past ignited our interest. Their elegance conveys a particular strength as they proudly assert their presence, a herd free from human control. The photograph is entitled Abbey Road, clearly evoking The Beatles’ iconic Abbey Road album cover, which depicts a landscape of the four band members strolling across the street, reinforcing the warm affection the audience feels for the photograph.
Lone Elk, Black Hills, South Dakota, 2014
Signed, dated, titled and numbered in pencil on sheet verso
Gelatin silver print
24 x 35" matted to 30 x 40"
Edition of 3
Candela employs black-and-white photography to create a dramatic atmosphere. In this image, a lone elk stands on a hill in the center of the frame. The elk is the focal point of the composition, centered on the horizon. The bold contrast between the light sky and dark grass draws attention to the elk in the distance, allowing the audience to identify its form. Although the elk is alone and vulnerable, there is no overwhelming anxiety or sense of imminent danger. The isolated subject appears to be shot at a low angle as the hill spills into the foreground, elevating the elk and characterizing the animal as regal and at peace. Candela offers viewers a moment for reflection as they find positive energy within the elk and recognize that power within themselves.
Bison Skulls Facing East, Black Hills, South Dakota, 2014
Signed, dated, titled and numbered in pencil on sheet verso
Gelatin silver print
16 x 20" matted to 20 x 24"
Edition of 8
Although Candela continues with the black and white theme, she captures a more eerie setting in the photograph above, displaying bison skulls stacked on a pile of rocks. This photograph portrays dead subjects, whereas the rest of the series highlights living animals. The audience may experience a gloomy, melancholic effect. However, when analyzed within the context of Lakota history, viewers are challenged to contemplate the circle of life. The bison skulls can be perceived through a spiritual lens, as the Lakota people often use animal skulls in ritual practices, believing the skulls to be a source of power. Candela thoughtfully reveals the history of the Black Hills, celebrating the Lakota people and their wildlife by sharing the beauty of their land.
