In Those are the Views. These are the Vistas., Nashville-based artist McLean Fahnestock considers the ways in which transcendental experiences in nature have become increasingly transactional and elitist. “Everest is the king of mountains,” Fahnestock says. “Ever since it was conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary, it has been the ultimate goal for modern explorers and mountaineers. The achievement, the unparalleled view, and the absolute separation from the world below are driving forces for those who chose to follow in his footsteps. The desire to stand at the top of the world has also become big business. Part of the growing eco, extreme, and adventure tourism industries, tour companies offer packages to those who can afford them that even include a guarantee that you will reach the summit. Increased permits have led to long lines, piling trash, and dangerous conditions. In 2019, 800 people attempted to reach the summit during a two-day optimal weather window. This exhibition takes a look at what it means to summit the world’s tallest mountain now.”

McLean Fahnestock seeks out footage, images, and items that expand our understanding of place, real and unreal. McLean received a BFA from Middle Tennessee State University and MFA from California State University Long Beach. Her work has been exhibited and screened across the United States and Internationally at institutions such as the Aurora Picture Show and Menil Collection, Houston, Frist Art Museum, Nashville, Black Mountain College Re{Happening}, North Carolina, Technisches Museum Wien, Vienna, Austria, The California Science Museum, Los Angeles, The British Library, London, and MOCA Hiroshima, Japan. Her work was selected for Off the Screen at the 57th Ann Arbor Film Festival. McLean keeps her studio in Nashville, TN.

Those are the Views. These are the Vistas.by McLean Fahnestock

Those are the Views. These are the Vistas.
by McLean Fahnestock