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Over the last year I have photographed the rice fields every month documenting the changes and transformations in the landscape. I have observed the water flowing and dissipating, the various processes from the harvest to discing the dry earth, and I have witnessed the changing bird, insect and wildlife populations. I have documented the mud and drains, trucks and planes. I have come to respect the grain, which feeds half the world. Rice in America also has a history which can be traced back to Africa and the female slaves who hid the precious seeds in their hair. In Sutter, Butte, Colusa and Yuba County, rice was introduced by Japanese immigrants, who, in the early 1900's were producing large percentages of California's produce. When I began this study, I thought it would be a fairly straightforward look at a specific use of the land, agriculture. I had planned to study a specific place over an extended period of time and study the changes that occur using photography as my tool. What I found was a landscape functioning in many layers: agricultural, historical, recreational, environmental and political and there is a complexity of issues involving land use, water use, and habitat. All Images © Patty Arnold 2004. All rights Reserved. A
very special Thank You to: |
