Stefan Frutiger - Forgotten Waters
Artist Statement:
"Forgotten Waters" examines environmental injustice and water scarcity across the American Southwest. My earlier series exposes radioactive legacy on the Navajo Nation through lenticulars and cutouts revealing disposal cells containing millions of tons of uranium waste. Contaminated groundwater forces residents to haul water from distant sources while traditional springs remain contaminated with uranium and heavy metals. My later series documents Colorado River over-allocation through aerial perspectives from Mexico to California's aqueducts. Drone images capture desert housing developments expanding despite diminishing resources, the river's reduction to a trickle while canals divert water for agriculture. These works illuminate how drought and population growth create unsustainable water demands.
Stefan Frutiger
Artist Bio:
Stefan is an MA Photography graduate from Falmouth Flexible. He is based in San Diego, CA. Stefan grew up in the Swiss alps, where majestic landscapes and mountain topics are abundant. He is a self-taught photographer and attended a three-year course to delve into photography and develop his own style. His early work was influenced by Swiss fine art photographer and personal tutor Reto Camenisch. Stefan was inspired by Swiss photographer Marco Grob who left Switzerland to start a career in America. Stefan admires the simplicity and clarity in Marco’s portraits. In 2021 Stefan joined a two-year master’s program to further develop his photography and storytelling skills. The arid deserts in the American West became Stefan's preferred places for research and visual documentation. In several projects he covered environmental issues around water, waste management, and land contamination.
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