thisiscolossal: Mist Casts the Hudson Valley in a Mysterious Light in Andrew Moore’s Atmospheric Photographs

A misty photograph of sheep among some trees at sunrise.

“Jill’s Keep, Rhinebeck, NY” (2021). All images © Andrew Moore, courtesy of Yancey Richardson, shared with permission

Sheep wander through the morning mist in Rhinebeck and storm clouds ebb over a waterway in dreamlike photographs by Andrew Moore. Known for his in-depth, long-term series that document natural places and the built environment, Moore’s work has focused on the evolution of places like Bosnia, the American South, or Cuba as they evolve over time. In his forthcoming solo exhibition Whiskey Point and Other Tales at Yancey Richardson, Moore delves into the Hudson Valley region of Upstate New York in a group of large-scale, atmospheric landscapes.

Nodding to the legacy of the Hudson River School painters, Moore hones in on the natural beauty of the region while also considering its historical significance. Whiskey Point, for example, which inspired the show’s title, is a strip of land that obtrudes into the Hudson River, formed when its surrounding soil was removed for brick production in the latter half of the 19th century. The spot is encompassed by Sojourner Truth State Park, designated in 2019 and named for the African American abolitionist and suffragette who was born nearby into slavery nearby, in 1797.

Moore examines the myriad histories and lore of the area from the perspective of an omniscient wanderer, capturing various times of day, landmarks, and weather from a range of vantage points. He emphasizes the constancy of change and the sense of anticipation spurred by a new day or a bend in the road, revealing what an exhibition statement calls “different kinds of lineages” that connect the present to the past.

Whiskey Point and Other Tales opens November 16 and continues through January 4, 2024. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.