All Photos © Maureen Drennan

Maureen Drennan’s photo exhibit of a reclusive pot farmer in Northern California is opening at The Wild Project on Wednesday, Oct. 12. “Meet Me in the Green Glen” is a portrait of Ben, a marijuana grower in California. Although marijuana is legal to grow and use in California within strict guidelines, it is not culturally acceptable to grow or sell despite the fact that it is a large part of the local economy. Every year Ben hires young men to help with the harvest season. They work for about one month and then he is alone again. The story Maureen is communicating is not simply about pot growing, it is also about the experience of a socially isolated person and her relationship with him. American Literature, in particular Flannery O’Connor and Annie Proulx, have had a significant influence on her work. They depict flawed characters and anti-heroes for whom life is a constant struggle, yet who maintain grace despite hardship. In describing the landscape, both writers evoke an ominously psychological and emotional sense of place in which the environment becomes a character unto itself and amplifies the isolation of their protagonists.

-courtesy Maureen Drennan.

Tags: Annie Proulx, Flannery O’Connor, Maureen Drennan, Meet Me in the Green Glen, pot-farming, The Wild Project

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 at 12:00 pm ET by Amber Terranova and is filed under Documentary, Fine Art.