Land of Many

stop motion and audio composition, 00:01:20, May 2024

 The piece, Land of Many combines charcoal stop motion layered with an ambient nature soundtrack that beckons viewers to think deeply about their relationship to land. The intro reshapes the Forest Service’s motto “Land of Many Uses” into a narrative that appreciates the land as a partnership that takes care of us. This exploitative philosophy, beginning with the word “uses”, represents a system that doesn’t value the knowledge, hard-work, and stewardship of those who have taken care of the land for generations. Reshaping this motto is important in beginning to heal and recognize the legacies of harm directly caused by ideologies of “usefulness” that are rooted in extraction.  

Stop-motion and recordings by Isabella Romero.  

Audio composed and mixed by Jaymien Perea.