The Edge of Light: Wendover

Bifurcated by the state line, Wendover, Utah, and West Wendover, Nevada, form a community that straddles the border of nowhere and nowhere. The unique topography of Wendover, which stands at the foot of the Toana mountain range and Leppy Hills, offered an unexpectedly dynamic vista of the town. Upon trudging up to the promontories that loom over of town, we were offered an oblique view of the city, of the perfectly straight and flat stretch of Interstate 80 through the salt flats, and of monolithic communication arrays. From this standpoint on a clear day, we found ourselves at one of the few points where the earth’s curvature can be seen on the horizon with the naked eye. At night, while the Utah side was nearly lightless, the casinos and parking lots of the Nevada side glowed bright as day, projecting a harsh screen of light on the mountains behind them, newly built tract housing, and piles of concrete rubble from building demolitions.

These photographs, made during a residency with the Center for Land Use Interpretation in the Summer of 2010, consist of a collection of nighttime images studying Wendover from within, above, and in-between.

Site Unseen is a collaboration between Brian Rosa and Adam Ryder