Set in Llano del Rio, the ruins of an early 20th-century commune in the desert outside Los Angeles, California, "Llano" is a poignant and visually captivating film that reflects the artist’s musings on a failed utopia. Just’s films are known for their poetic explorations of place. In "Llano," a young woman attempts to rebuild, stone by stone, a collapsing wall amid a torrential downpour on an otherwise sunny day. The absurdity of the action becomes apparent as the camera pulls back from the subject to reveal the artificial source of the rain — a makeshift structure of plastic tubing much like that used on Hollywood movie sets. The subject of Just’s film is locked in a laborious and fruitless attempt to rebuild while the man-made irrigation system continually thwarts her efforts.
This work travels to the museum from SCAD Atlanta, where it was presented during 2015 SCAD deFINE ART.
