New Composites

Temperatures are Rising in Antarctica

A few months ago, I took a month-long workshop with Elena Dorfman, a terrific photographic artist. It blew my mind open to new possibilities with photography. For years I have been working on climate change and water issues. At times I was frustrated with the limitations of single photographs and even did an exhibit of diptychs on climate change in Antartica, Bangladesh, and Florida in Athens Greece in 2019. They were a great start and I was so honored to be able to share that work. However, Elena’s workshop showed me that it was possible to include many more images than I ever considered and that the individual photographs could be used as brushstrokes. All of these photographs were taken in Antartica in October 2018, when I went on an expedition to Snow Hill Island to see the emperor penguins. On the journey, I was really struck by all the melting sea ice and glaciers and how creatures there are going to have to keep moving to follow the ice. No doubt there will be extinctions as more and more ice melts and oceans continue to warm. In addition to the thirteen layered photographs in this image, I have included a graph of temperatures and salinity from 1900 to 2000. This approach allows me to tell more of the story within the image itself.

The Cracked Face of Sea Ice

This is another composite from Antarctica. It includes 20 layered photographs and a graph showing trends in linear ice shelf melting. The images have been juxtaposed to accentuate the cracks and ice fingers caused by the convergence of the world's oceans and the alternations of the ice due to warmer temperatures.

Godafoss After the Torrential Rainstorm

The eighteen images that comprise this composite were taken in Iceland at the Godafoss falls in February 2020 following a massive rainstorm that caused avalanches in Iceland. The day before, the area was covered in snow. The water was churning and everything melted. Lichen was suddenly visible that likely would have been buried under the snow for months. Ice was flying off the rocks and previously frozen falls. It was quite dramatic and the images have been arranged to impart a churning feeling. If I ever felt how quickly the effects of climate change can occur it was here. The day before, everything had been covered in deep snow.

Catawba Falls Erosion

The photographs in this composite were taken over a several year period following extreme rain events in North Carolina. I juxtaposed a series of images together to help create the sense of the movement and power of water as it erodes the landscape. Erosion and climate change are happening everywhere as a result of the hand of man. Everyone can see evidence in their own backyards. When I moved here in 2017, the climate was totally different than it is now. We are having more extreme rain events and evening lightning in winter. There are insects and bugs that were never here before. Entire ecosystems shift.

Melting

This is another composite from Antarctica showing the diminishing fast ice and melting sea ice. A graph of monthly growth/accumulation is layered on the images, showing the downward trend over time.

The Violence of Climate Change

This image shows the melting ice shelf and graphs of its decline. I made a composite and printed it on rice paper and then stabbed holes in the edges of the ice shelf and hand colored it. Then I rephotographed it on top of a light box. I felt my emotions about all that is happening to our climate and environment come through in the stabbing motions I made. The rice paper and illumination gave it an eerie glow.

If a Tree Falls in the Forest

This is another example with typed words incorporated in the image.  Every time I hike, I see fallen trees in the Blue Ridge.  Often they are very large and have been a part of the forest for a long time.  Trees are so helpful as a carbon sink and in holding the land in place.  When I see so many toppled, it makes me wonder if their existence, especially species like the chestnut and hemlock, will soon be forgotten.  My father was a philosopher and I was raised on the question, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" This question asks can something exist without being perceived by consciousness and it is related to a deeper question about whether the unobserved world functions the same as the observed world.  My instincts tell me, yes, the tree made a sound whether I heard it or not.  However, there are more gray areas pertaining to the impact of our consciousness on the unfolding of events because the power of our minds can change outcomes and have a rippling effect beyond our own selves.  I altered the quote for this image to question our relationship to history and how that affects reality.  Obliviousness to our history, especially pertaining to people of color, indigenous peoples, and the environment, is very dangerous.  We cannot learn and move forward as a healthier society if we continue to have amnesia about our past.

Invasive Vines Rising in the Fog

Everywhere invasive vines are climbing and taking over our trees. Sometimes they co-exist while doing little damage, while in other cases they cause the trees to become ill by blocking sunlight. As I was walking on my ridge, I came across these vines rising up out fo the fog to capture the light. It looked so eerie. This composite is made of multiple images and printed on rice paper, which was then hand-colored by pencil and rephotographed.

Hovering on a Band of Light in Stormy Skies

This two image composite created a much more immersive atmosphere than I could have achieved with a single image. Walking on the beach on Edisto Island in March during a stormy weekend, I saw the sun peek out over the horizon. The rest of the sky seemed incredibly dark and I felt the power of the sun trying to break through. Then I looked up and saw two pelicans flying in a band of light. When I made the image, I only saw one, but when I looked more closely the shadow of a second was perceptible. I felt that is what we need to do right now-find that thin band of light in these dark and unsettling times and find a way to soar as best we can as the currents that are affecting our lives continually change.