Blind River

Seasonal rainfall carves washes through the borderlands of the Sonoran Desert. Rains end and water evaporates, yet these channels occupy strata both visible and invisible. Currents often rearrange themselves and flow below ground, less susceptible to the seasonal changes above. Humans and wildlife move through this region in much the same way, forming a complex network of fluctuating corridors across two countries. Political, economic, and environmental forces require them to adapt; their movements are fleeting, varied, and mostly hidden. These systems of transit are subject to constant observation and analysis. Individuals and groups, including scientists and government agencies, study them remotely. Their intentions vary greatly, yet their tactics and data sets often overlap and mirror each other. Merging imagery from their technologies with highly resolved landscape photographs, I collapse intimate and distanced depictions of the border landscape. A new, more comprehensive framework for understanding concealed movement emerges, suggesting a continuous circulation just beyond our unaided vision.

Remote-sensing and recognition applications, whether deployed for research or surveillance purposes, monitor similar spaces, capture similar footage, and analyze data using similar algorithmic tools. Their deployers observe and compile narrow information sets consistent with their motives. In many cases, human vision and recognition becomes secondary: the watcher (camera system) informs the identifier (software) autonomously. Despite these tools of enhanced vision, our capacity to see and understand is clouded by layers of detachment. Does de-humanized observation generate an impassive and simplified lens through which to view this complex and contested space? Is there room for empathy in a system that promotes objectivity? I examine these concerns and encourage viewers to consider subjects and scenes beyond their assigned taxonomies and flattened narratives.

Still, the machine eye watches and collects. In the endless accumulation of footage, patterns emerge and individual moments dissolve. The current reveals our presence and our marks, either ephemeral or enduring.

© Alex Turner - Mine Shaft, Abandoned Endless Chain Mine, Patagonia Mountains, AZ
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Mine Shaft, Abandoned Endless Chain Mine, Patagonia Mountains, AZ

© Alex Turner - 2 Gray Foxes, Border Patrol Access Road, San Rafael Valley, AZ
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2 Gray Foxes, Border Patrol Access Road, San Rafael Valley, AZ

© Alex Turner - 1 Human (Border Patrol) with A.I. Recognition, San Rafael Valley, AZ
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1 Human (Border Patrol) with A.I. Recognition, San Rafael Valley, AZ

© Alex Turner - 8 Captures of 2 Coyotes, 2-Hour Interval, Abandoned Endless Chain Mine, Patagonia Mountains, AZ
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8 Captures of 2 Coyotes, 2-Hour Interval, Abandoned Endless Chain Mine, Patagonia Mountains, AZ

© Alex Turner - 3 Captures of 1 Jaguar with A.I. Recognition, Censored Location, AZ
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3 Captures of 1 Jaguar with A.I. Recognition, Censored Location, AZ

© Alex Turner - 29 Humans (Smugglers) and 12 Horses, 1-Week Interval, Patagonia Mountains, AZ
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29 Humans (Smugglers) and 12 Horses, 1-Week Interval, Patagonia Mountains, AZ

© Alex Turner - 1 “Vehicle” and 1 Human (Smuggler) with A.I. Recognition, Censored Location, AZ
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1 “Vehicle” and 1 Human (Smuggler) with A.I. Recognition, Censored Location, AZ

© Alex Turner - 24 Javelinas and Cow Carcass, 1-Week Interval, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ
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24 Javelinas and Cow Carcass, 1-Week Interval, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ

© Alex Turner - 127 White-Tailed Deer, 43 Javelinas, 29 Gray Foxes, 4 Coyotes, 3 Humans, 1-Month Interval, Patagonia Mountains, AZ
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127 White-Tailed Deer, 43 Javelinas, 29 Gray Foxes, 4 Coyotes, 3 Humans, 1-Month Interval, Patagonia Mountains, AZ

© Alex Turner - 10 White-Tailed Deer with A.I. Recognition, 1-Week Interval, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ
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10 White-Tailed Deer with A.I. Recognition, 1-Week Interval, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ

© Alex Turner - 3 Captures of 1 Human (Border Patrol) with A.I. Recognition, 3-Second Interval, Censored Location, AZ
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3 Captures of 1 Human (Border Patrol) with A.I. Recognition, 3-Second Interval, Censored Location, AZ

© Alex Turner - 6 Captures of 1 Human (Unidentified), 4-Hour Interval, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ
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6 Captures of 1 Human (Unidentified), 4-Hour Interval, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ

© Alex Turner - Vehicle Tracks and Dry Wash, Proposed Rosemont Mine Site, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ
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Vehicle Tracks and Dry Wash, Proposed Rosemont Mine Site, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ

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