The ongoing interest in photographs of vast and often toxic landscapes can probably be traced to Land and Environmental Art (Phaidon 1998), a book by Brian Wallis and Jeffrey Kastner - whose ideas segued into Ecotopia, the second triennial at the International Center of Photography, in 2006. A new edition of the book will be in stores this Fall. For now, a small but well selected exhibition in Nolita might whet the appetite for visions of splendid despoliation.

At the minuscule Jen Bekman Gallery on Spring Street, 28 images, often stacked two- or three-up, offer views of the human effect on, or place in, nature. An example of the latter is Ian Baguskas's large print of Indian Beach Surf, Oregon, which is part of his continuing series, Search for the American Landscape. Framed from a high point of view, with massive erratics rising from the sea, the scene includes a small group of people, engulfed in coastal mist and surf, with a dog looking on from the side. While absolutely contemporary in its style and content, this picture also bridges time; it commands the kind of majesterial point of view shared by two opposite extremes in photography - for example, Stephen Shore's 1979 Merced River, Yosemite National Park, as well as certain views of Yosemite by Ansel Adams.

Left: #6237 by Todd Hido. Right: Fort Yates, ND by Justin Newhall. Copyright the photographers; courtesy Jen Bekman Gallery.

At the other end of the spectrum is Housing Development at Different Stages, Las Vegas, NV, March 2005 by Alex Maclean, in which row on row of tiny plots in a tract development, lined up like scales on a fish, show the progress of building identical, featureless houses that stand just a few yards apart from each other. The only thing that differentiates one from another is the color of the roof. It would be interesting to see the way in which future inhabitants will put a personal stamp on these properties.

Work from some of the most visible shows in the last couple of years (such as Rotations: Moore Estates #5 by Matthew Moore and #6237 by Todd Hido) is joined by some surprising images to make for a lively mix. In Fort Yates, ND by Justin Newhall, a sturdy masonry building is "fortified" by rows of trees growing in narrow strips of land between the structure and the road. Sighting (Avondale Mall) by Andrew Scott Ross / Scott Lawrence, offers the kind of dreamlike scene that anyone who hates searching for a good parking spot at the Agway would love to encounter to relieve the boredom of small town living: a herd of bison galloping across the blacktop, horns down and hooves flying.

There's plenty more visual stimulation here to relieve the weight of the current heatwave. My only reservation, and it's strictly personal, is that I don't like seeing paintings and drawings mixed in with photography in a single gallery.

Land Use Survey continues through mid-August, and possibly beyond, at Jen Bekman Gallery. 6 Spring Street, New York, NY. 212. 219.0166. Please visit the website, or  info@jenbekman.com for information.

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