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For this video John Gerrard bases himself on an historical photograph taken on April 15th 1935.  On that day – known as Black Sunday – the Midwest of the USA was ravaged by several apocalyptic sandstorms.  The region became known as the Dust Bowl, and played a central role in the economic crisis of that period, the Great Depression.  Using 3D technology, the artist shifts the storm to a contemporary agrarian landscape.  Using thousands of photographs and satellite images made on the spot, Gerrard recreates a visual area of around 16 km², including windmills, farms and fences. During the video, the light changes through day and night over the seasons during the period of one year.

The work of John Gerrard consists of virtual worlds, ones constructed in detail using real-time 3D computer graphics.  This process was originally developed for military use and today is primarily applied in the computer game industry. His oeuvre investigates the nature of contemporary manifestations of power in the broadest sense of the word. It questions power structures and networks that comprise the basis of the enormous expansion of human endeavour over the course of the twentieth century and criticizes radical capitalism. The choice of his medium is closely allied to both the form and content of Gerrard's work, with the computer allowing us not only to create hyperrealistic images, but also occupying a central role in the global network of production and distribution.