Sarah Christianson
Pipeline Through the Jorgensons' Land,
May 2013, 2013/2014

C-print, 20 x 24 inches
Edition 3/4, signed, on print front
Unframed
Courtesy of the artist
Estimated value: $1,200

From the series "When the Landscape Is Quiet Again: North Dakota's Oil Boom"

Since 2012, I have been documenting the legacy of oil booms and busts in my home state of North Dakota. My photographs bear witness to the transformation of its quiet agrarian landscape into an industrialized zone dotted with well sites, criss-crossed by pipelines, illuminated by natural gas flares, contaminated by oil and saltwater spills, and fracked beyond recognition.

Brenda and Richard Jorgenson fought to keep this 22-inch natural gas pipeline off their ranch; however, Alliance Pipeline used eminent domain against them to seize their land and install it anyway. The company's attempts to restore "the scar" were inadequate and caused major problems. The Jorgensons remained locked in legal battles with Alliance until 2018, when they reached a settlement they cannot discuss due to a gag order. Brenda said, "We did the one thing I thought we'd never do—settle."

About the Artist:
Sarah Christianson

Sarah Christianson (b.1982) grew up on a four-generation family farm in North Dakota (an hour north of Fargo). Immersed in that vast expanse of the Great Plains, she developed a strong affinity for its landscape and stories. This connection to place and family has had a profound effect on her work: despite moving to San Francisco in 2009, she continues to document the subtleties and nuances of the Midwestern landscape and experience through long-term projects.

Christianson earned an MFA in photography from the University of Minnesota. Her work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in the collections of Duke University, Durham, NC; the National Museum of Photography in Copenhagen, and several institutions in the Midwest. She has received grants from the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Center for Cultural Innovation.

Christianson’s first book, Homeplace (Daylight Books), documents the history and uncertain future of her family’s farm by interweaving her images with old snapshots and historical documents culled from her personal archive. Her current project, "When the Landscape Is Quiet Again," examines the oil boom occurring in western North Dakota. Throughout her work, she uses her personal experiences and connection to the land to evoke a strong sense of place, history, and time.

Website: sarahchristianson.com
Instagram: @sarah.christianson