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U.S./Mexico border near El Paso/Jurarez
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Image Title, 2008. 30x30" C-Type Print, $500. Edition of 20.
 
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© 2010 David Taylor
Working
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U.S./Mexico border near El Paso/Jurarez Departure, TX Drag, NM Seized Marijuana Bales, AZ Fence Breach, NM Inspection, NM Drugs, TX Methamphetamine and Marijuana, AZ Highway Checkpoint, NM Intell Info, TX Graffiti (for the second time), TX Armory , AZ Apprehension, NM Awaiting Processing, AZ Bollard Fence, Los Algadones, Baja California Seismic Sensor, TX Camera Room, NM Smugglers, Sonora Drop-off and Border Fence, Sonora Poaching a Dope Stash, AZ Backpack Scars Detention Cell (with serape), NM Ground Scanning Radar, AZ Alien Property Storage, AZ Detention Cell (Woman’s), TX Pedestrian Fence Construction, NM Sky Box, CA Serenade, U.S./Mexico Border Lochiel, AZ/La Noria, SO (with vehicle barrier) Mural (with border fence), Sonora Migrants, AZ Kilo Vehicle Interior, NM Break Area (with paperwork), AZ Holding Area, AZ ATV Sign Cutting, CA Fingerprinting, AZ Trophy Belt and Novels Office Work (shared desk), TX
 
 
Working the Line
For the last three years I have been photographing along the U.S.-Mexico border between El Paso/Juarez and Tijuana/San Diego. My project is organized around an effort to document all of the monuments that mark the international boundary west of the Rio Grande. The rigorous effort to reach all of the 276 obelisks, most of which were installed between the years 1891 and 1895, has inevitably led to encounters with migrants, smugglers, the Border Patrol, minutemen and residents of the borderlands.

During the period of my work the United States Border Patrol has doubled in size and the federal government has constructed over 600 miles of pedestrian fencing and vehicle barrier. With apparatus that range from simple tire drags (that erase foot prints allowing fresh evidence of crossing to be more readily identified) to seismic sensors (that detect the passage of people on foot or in a vehicle) the border is under constant surveillance. To date the Border Patrol has attained “operational control” in many areas, however people and drugs continue to cross. Much of that traffic occurs in the most remote, rugged areas of the southwest deserts.
My travels along the border have been done both alone and in the company of Border Patrol agents. I have been granted broad access to photograph field operations and the routine activities that occur within Border Patrol stations.
 
In total, the resulting pictures are intended to offer a view into locations and situations that we generally do not access. In doing so, I hope to offer a view into highly complex set of issues that are most often framed by reductive, ideologically driven polemics.
 
 
 
 
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 U.S./Mexico border near El Paso/Jurarez, 2007%%%

42.75x34"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Departure, TX, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Drag, NM, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Seized Marijuana Bales, AZ, 2009%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2009
Fence Breach, NM, 2009%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2009
Inspection, NM, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Drugs, TX, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Methamphetamine and Marijuana, AZ, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Highway Checkpoint, NM, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Intell Info, TX, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Graffiti (for the second time), TX, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Armory , AZ, 2008%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Apprehension, NM, 2008%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Awaiting Processing, AZ, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Bollard Fence, Los Algadones, Baja California, 2009%%%

70.8x43"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 4
©2009
Seismic Sensor, TX, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Camera Room, NM, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Smugglers, Sonora, 2009%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2009
Drop-off and Border Fence, Sonora, 2009%%%

46x35.5"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2009
Poaching a Dope Stash, AZ, 2009%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2009
Backpack Scars, 2009%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2009
Detention Cell (with serape), NM, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Ground Scanning Radar, AZ, 2009%%%

48.5x38"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 4
©2009
Alien Property Storage, AZ, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Detention Cell (Woman’s), TX, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Pedestrian Fence Construction, NM, 2008%%%

42.75x34"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Sky Box, CA, 2009%%%

84x20"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2009
Serenade, U.S./Mexico Border, 2008%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Lochiel, AZ/La Noria, SO (with vehicle barrier), 2009%%%

80x44"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 4
©2009
Mural (with border fence), Sonora, 2009%%%

43x34"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2009
Migrants, AZ, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Kilo Vehicle Interior, NM, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Break Area (with paperwork), AZ, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Holding Area, AZ, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
ATV Sign Cutting, CA, 2009%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2009
Fingerprinting, AZ, 2008%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Trophy Belt and Novels, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
Office Work (shared desk), TX, 2007%%%

31x24"Archival Inkjet Print
Edition of 10
©2008
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