Adlai's Woods Project
A 2 year project exploring the landscape surrounding the farm of former Illinois Governor and two-time presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson II.
Statement for the exhibit Adlai's Woods at the Independence Grove Visitor Center, 16400 Buckley Rd., Libertyville, IL July 2 - September 30, 2010:
In 2008, I was hired as Executive Director of the newly formed Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy. Located at his former farm in Mettawa, it is now the Adlai E. Stevenson Historic Home, a property of the Lake County Forest Preserve District. I spent the next two years promoting the ideas and furthering the legacy of this great man. I also had the opportunity to spend time in the environment that meant so much to him.
Adlai's Woods represents an exploration of land over time, an on-going and gradual revelation. As an artist, I have been observing the changes in this landscape over the seasons, witnessing both the subtle and the obvious. I was born and raised in New York, and have been honestly surprised at the extent to which this quiet landscape has captivated me. I've been particularly mesmerized by a small stretch of the DesPlaines River that passes through the Stevenson property. I've found its expressions over the seasons to be visually remarkable. As I become older, I am beginning to see beauty in chaos, in the random display of branches, in an uncertain sense of surface. A play of light or a deep reflection becomes an invitation. I am continually amazed at the variety in shape, color and form; in the quiet of these jumbles. These are not traditional, landscape images—they are more abstract, more in keeping both with the subject and with my own understanding of photography. For me, they have become a window into a deeper understanding of time and space and our place within it.
Stevenson, former Governor of Illinois, twice presidential candidate, and American Ambassador to the United Nations was an early environmentalist. He loved the land at his Mettawa farm. After spending time at this place, I have an idea why.
The quotes included in the exhibit are all by Adlai E. Stevenson II and reflect his unique awareness and style. I hope to publish a book of this material that will include additional images and further writings.
All photographs in this exhibit are archival pigment inkjet prints and are available for purchase, in assorted sizes.
Alan Teller
Evanston, IL
note: The print prices listed here are based on the size of the print in the exhibit. All images are available in different sizes; prices are listed on the 'News/Price List' tab.
