Discarded portrays the halting spread of Los Angeles into the lower reaches of California’s Central Valley to the desert region east of Palm Springs. Centering largely on housing developments that have been abandoned at various stages of their construction, the exhibition reminds us of Americans’ penchant for discarding what we no longer want, and how individuals sometimes get caught in this same current.

Despite their difficult subject matter, Hernandez’s large photographs lure us in with color, atmosphere, and detail—sharing the beauty of the clear desert light and the comforting patterns of lived experience. The images deliver a disconcerting poignancy that asks us to question what we value and why we find it so easy to turn away.