Along the Hundredth Meridian

The Hundredth Meridian is a longitudinal line that crosses six states in the Midwest. It is traditionally understood to divide the arid western half of the Great Plains from the more fertile region to the east.

Andrew Moore began taking photographs along the Meridian in 2005. He became captivated by the rural communities and the diverse terrain, and soon befriended a number of people who live there. He spent nine years documenting life on the land, where the daily reality is often defined by drought and hardship. Moore told me that he was amazed by the residents’ specialized knowledge of vegetation and weather patterns, which has been passed down through several generations.

Dirt Meridian,” which opened at Yancey Richardson Gallery this week, features photographs that Moore took of the Nebraska panhandle, which lies to the west of the Hundredth Meridian. He says that his greatest challenge was finding a way to translate the vast emptiness into a photograph. It was an effort, he writes, “that took me a long seven years to fully realize.”

Above is a selection from “Dirt Meridian,” which is on view through February 22nd.

Also, view Ed Kashi and Ashley Gilbertson’s profile of a farming community facing long-term drought in Cimarron County, Oklahoma.