On Water is a solo exhibition featuring 14 large scale photographs and photographic collages by artist Elizabeth Chiles. Presented in the Central Library’s main gallery, On Water showcases two series of Chiles’ work: Figs from Thistles, created in 2013 during the worst Texas drought in over a century, and On Water, created in 2018 during months of historic flooding along the Colorado River.

The resulting photographs, which were taken by Chiles throughout Texas state parks and along the Colorado River, capture the local environment at two extremes, prompting viewers to both appreciate its natural beauty and consider its long-term sustainability. Dried native grasses and improbably hopeful wildflowers are juxtaposed with lush plant life and vivid colors, revealing how water—or the lack thereof—has the ability to shape our surrounding landscape.