WATER & POWER: A GLOBAL EMPIRE OF THIRST

"Water is the ideal form of powerfluid, adaptable, and persistent, able to wear down even the hardest stone through patience and flow."
- Laozi in Tao Te Ching

Robert Dawson first photographed the relationship between water and power at Mono Lake, California in the late 1970s, then expanded that work to the American West and later to sites throughout the world. His work explores humanitys desire to possess, control, and shape nature to our perceived needs by documenting both the exploitation of this vital resource and the complex social relationship between people and water. Water serves as a metaphor that teaches us about the nature of powerits ability to create, inspire and sustain us, but also, if unchecked, to destroy and erase communities.

Building on his years of photographing water issues in the American West, Dawson traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia to look at the legacy of the war and the effects of the burgeoning international shrimp industry on local communities. In India, he documented the forced relocation of local residents due to the rising waters of a nearby dam. In Iceland he visited a controversial dam project that destroyed a vast wilderness and provided power solely for the production and export of aluminum. In northern Mexico he photographed how the Colorado River completely dried up due to oversubscription of the river upstream in the US. And along Guatemalas Chixoy River he documented indigenous communities ongoing battle for water rights. Dawsons photographs underscore how water disputes symbolize broader struggles over power, control, economics, and survivalissues that transcend borders and impact communities worldwide.

Civilizations have risen and fallen based on their ability to manage water resources. From ancient irrigation systems of Mesopotamia to modern battles over water rights in the American West, the control of water has dramatically shaped human life. Today, in an era of climate change, rapid urbanization, and increasing water scarcity, the environmental and social challenges of water management are now more urgent than ever. By documenting these struggles, Dawson challenges viewers to recognize that water is not just a resource, it is a fundamental human right. His photographs ask who benefits from the abundance of water, and who suffers from its absence. As we confront these challenges, how we manage our vital natural resources will reflect on the future of our shared world.