(music)
>> I'M VERY HAPPY WITH WHAT
WE ACHIEVED HERE WHICH IS
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
GOING TO DISCOVER AS YOU
GO AROUND EACH CORNER.
WHAT YOU DO DISCOVER IS
THERE'S A GREAT NATURAL BEAUTY
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BOARDER.
>> THIS IS THE "UNA TIERRA,
ONE LAND" EXHIBIT AT THE
BARTON WARNOCK ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION CENTER.
>> HERE WE'VE GOT SOME NEW
TECHNOLOGY IN DIGITAL MURALS
THAT ARE JUST WONDERFUL COLOR.
>> BUT OUR STORY ISN'T
ABOUT THE DISPLAY ITSELF.
INSTEAD, WE'RE GOING TO TELL
YOU ABOUT THREE PEOPLE;
DESIGNER DAVE DENNEY,
ARTIST MIKE O'BRIEN, AND
PHOTOGRAPHER EARL NOTTINGHAM.
AND HOW THEY HELPED BUILD AN
EXHIBIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A
WEST TEXAS DESERT.
>> YOU THINK OF DESERT AS
BEING DRY AND ARID.
WHICH IS TRUE OF A
LOT OF THE AREAS.
BUT AS YOU COME AROUND THE
CORNER, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'LL
FIND THESE LITTLE AREAS WITH
GREENERY AND TREES AND RUNNING
WATER, AND THERE'S BIRDS
CHIRPING AND, AH, I THINK
THIS IS HEAVEN.
PARADISE.
>> DAVE DENNEY IS THE
EXHIBIT DESIGNER.
>> WHAT WE'LL TRY TO DO IN
THE EXHIBIT IS GO FROM AREAS
OF DRYNESS AND DESERT TO A
SURPRISE AROUND THE CORNER
TO THE LUSHNESS.
AND THIS IS THE SORT OF LUSHNESS
THAT WE'LL TRY TO REPRESENT.
AND SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE
MISCONCEPTION THAT THE DESERT
IS ALL HOT AND ARID.
ALTHOUGH IT IS MOSTLY.
WELL, THIS IS THE GALLERY
SPACE THAT WE ARE GOING
TO BE DEALING WITH.
AND WHAT WE ARE GOING TO TRY
TO DO IS CREATE SOME INTEREST
BY CREATING A MEANDER
THROUGH THE EXHIBIT.
AS WE DEVELOP THE MEANDER,
WE'LL CREATE PARTITIONS
BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT AREAS SO
THAT THE VISITOR COMES AROUND
A CORNER AND FINDS SOMETHING
NEW AND OF INTEREST.
>> AND THE BIGGEST SPACE IN
THE EXHIBIT WILL INCLUDE A
HUGE MAP BEING BUILT BY
MIKE O'BRIEN.
>> AND THERE'S A BUNCH
OF STEPS INVOLVED.
AND THIS IS JUST THE VERY
BEGINNING.
>> MIKE IS CREATING A
THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF
BIG BEND'S MOUNTAINS,
RIVERS, AND DESERTS.
(music)
>> THIS MAP WILL PROBABLY
TAKE ABOUT THREE MONTHS
FROM BEGINNING TO FINISH.
BY NOW, I'VE LEARNED THAT
YOU JUST HAVE TO KINDOF
GO WITH THE FLOW.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.
AND JUST BE ABLE TO FIX
ANYTHING THAT GOES WRONG.
AND I KNOW THIS WILL
ALL TURN OUT FINE.
(music)
WALTZ ACROSS TEXAS.
THERE GOES LAJITAS.
THIS SURE BEATS DRIVING.
(music)
>> EARL NOTTINGHAM HAS BEEN
A PHOTOGRAPHER SINCE HE
WAS 15 YEARS OLD.
(music)
>> TO ME, THE BIG BEND REGION
OF TEXAS IS ADDICTIVE.
IT IS GRAND.
IT'S STARK.
AND IT'S EXTREMELY PHOTOGENIC.
(music and camera shutter click)
THE QUALITY OF LIGHT EARLY IN
THE MORNING AND LATE IN THE
EVENING AROUND HERE ARE
JUST PHENOMENAL.
IT'S HARD TO TAKE A BAD,
BAD PHOTOGRAPH.
>> EARL IS TRAVELING ACROSS
THE BIG BEND REGION,
CREATING THE IMAGES THAT
WILL BE USED IN THE EXHIBIT.
>> THE IDEA OF THIS PROJECT IS
TO PHOTOGRAPH THOSE VARIOUS
GEOLOGICAL FEATURES THAT EXIST
WITHIN A HUNDRED MILE RADIUS
OF THE WARNOCK CENTER.
BORING!
WE LOST OUR LIGHT ON THAT ONE.
NICEST THING IS, WHEN YOU GET
SET UP FOR A PHOTOGRAPH OUT
HERE, MOTHER NATURE THROWS IN
A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA
THAT YOU DON'T EXPECT.
HE'S PEEING ON US!
DID YOU GET THAT?
BAAAAA.
SO WE HAVE TO KIND OF REACH
INTO OUR BAG OF PHOTOGRAPHIC
TRICKS TO GIVE AN EXTRA
DIMENSION OF REALISM TO
THOSE IMAGES.
(camera shutter clicks)
WE WANT THE VISITOR TO FEEL
LIKE HE WAS ACTUALLY THERE.
AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE
TESTAMENT OF A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH.
SO...
(music)
A LOT OF IT IS SITTING
AND WAITING, SCOUTING, FOR
THAT ONE SPLIT SECOND OF LIGHT
THAT TELLS THE WHOLE STORY.
>> EARL TOOK OVER 1,000 IMAGES
DURING HIS TRAVELS.
AROUND 50 OF THEM WILL BE
ON DISPLAY IN THE EXHIBIT.
(music)
(construction sounds)
>> ARE WE STILL WORKING
ON 5-8, B?
OR HAVE WE GOTTEN C, TOO?
ARE YOU SAYING WE NEED TO GET...
>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IMAGE
AND I THINK PROBABLY SOMEWHERE
IN THERE...
>> PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS, WE'RE TRYING TO SEE
WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.
AND SO THERE'S A CERTAIN
GIVE AND TAKE.
BUT ALL ALONG, WE'RE THINKING
IN TERMS OF THE VISITORS'
EXPERIENCE, AND CREATING
THAT ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS
ENTERTAINING TO THEM.
HOW WE DO THAT, HOW WE TAKE ALL
THAT TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC
INFORMATION AND TRANSLATE THAT
INTO SOMETHING A LAY
PERSON CAN UNDERSTAND,
IS REALLY WHERE THE
CREATIVE PROCESS IS.
AND THAT IS, TAKING A CONCEPT
AND MAKING IT HAPPEN SO YOU
CAN SEE IT VISUALLY WITH
GRAPHICS AND INFORMATION
SUCH AS THAT.
(music)
>> FINALLY, AFTER FOUR YEARS
OF PLANNING, DESIGN
AND CONSTRUCTION,
THE EXHIBIT OPENS.
>> UNO, DOS, TRES.
YEA!
(applause)
>> AS EXHIBITS GO, THE WARNOCK
CENTER IS, ADMITTEDLY,
OFF THE BEATEN PATH.
BUT ITS SIGNIFICANCE EXTENDS
FAR BEYOND THIS PIECE OF
DESERT ALONG THE RIO GRANDE.
AND THAT IS, THE NEED FOR ALL
TEXANS TO CARE FOR OUR
FRAGILE DESERTS.
>> WE'VE GOT A PLACE THAT'S
GOT INCREDIBLE SURPRISES.
AND YOU COME AROUND THESE
CORNERS AND YOU SEE ANIMALS,
AND THERE'S FLOWERS BLOOMING.
THERE'S A LOT OF LIFE OUT HERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF BEAUTY.
AND DISCOVERIES EVERYWHERE
YOU GO.