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The Things They Carry . . . 91 East

Thermal labels, Galvanized Steel

In 1980, the Inland Empire was home to 234 warehouses. There are now more than 4,000 in the region providing economic success for large businesses while also providing employment opportunities for the communities. However this growth also has consequences. These repercussions are revealed through the transformation of land consumption, the spread of smog infused air, and the clogging of traffic flows across Southern California. Freeways are infested with flocks of 53 foot diesel fueled behemoths. As of 2023, California is home to 15.9 million Semi trucks; many of which reside in the state’s southern region.  The Things They Carry . . . 91 East explores the duality of Southern California’s logistic empire and its relationship to the earth. As this logistics empire spreads infectiously so does their socio-environmental consequences.

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Rodrigo Morales

Rodrigo Morales is a Chicanx Visual Artist and Musician working out of the Inland Empire. Rodrigo constructs their ideas with a variety of mediums including photography, video, graffiti, sculpture, sound, and archival research. Across these mediums, Rodrigo is interested in themes relating to American Visual Culture, Southern California’s Warehouse Industrial Complex, and the Identity of Adolescence. Rodrigo earned his B.F.A in Creative Photography and Experimental Media from Cal State University Fullerton. Rodrigo’s work has been shared in Curious Publishing Vol. 3 No. 4. (2021), Lomography Magazine (2022), Riverside City College Honors Art Exhibition 2022 (Riverside, CA),  The Deep Cut Exhibition (San Bernardino 2023, Riverside 2024, CA), Invasive Species 2023 (Fullerton Arboretum, CA), and Reencuentros: Seeing You Again 2024  (Irvine Fine Arts Center, CA), and Symbiosis.

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