Current Trajectory
What remains if nothing is done? If we do not do anything to stop climate change? If we live idly by as the Earth is destroyed around us?When the Earth become inhospitable to all human life? When the rich have exhausted every last resource on this planet, creating their own demise? What is left? What can grow back?
Apathy in response to the climate crisis is common. A 2020 study from Georgia State University found that when individuals were given recommendations to alleviate the climate crisis through personal behavioral changes, there was a “decreased willingness to take personal actions to reduce greenhouse gases, decreased willingness to support pro-climate candidates, reduced belief in the accelerated speed of climate change, and decreased trust in climate scientists”. Individuals believe in climate change but do not want to feel that their freedom of choice is being obstructed, instead favoring approaches that target producers (i.e. corporations). Furthermore, the climate crisis is such a complex issue, it is unfathomable to even conceptualize the full extent of its effect on our future, which further limits our present reaction to it.
Kilauea, Corn Wagon Thunder
A fiery juggernaut, a black desolation.
America’s Wonderlands Corn Wagon Thunder
Wonderland: a place that excites admiration or wonder; an imaginary place of delicate beauty or magical charm.
America’s Wonderlands: The Scenic National Parks and Monuments of the United States, a National Geographic Society publication from 1959, is a collection of photos and text from the magazine “capturing the awe, wonder, and pride the parks inspire.” Finding a discarded library copy of the book, she was captivated by the images of “wholesome, whitebread, ‘50s people interacting with these iconic landscapes.” She began incorporating images from the book into her photomontages–creating new versions of these wonderlands.
America’s Wonderlands shows people at scenic overlooks - looking in, their backs to the camera. While visiting East Coast parks, she has observed people recording their experience there, often looking out– taking selfies, their backs to nature. A recent ScienceDaily article describes how the cultural value of landscapes is being calculated using geotagged photos on social media. Is it possible that the future of our public lands will be defined by a multitude of selfies and an accumulation of “likes?” Will photography, via social media, be the measure of utilization that guides the preservation and/or commodification of our wonderlands?
To examine the notions of “places of wonder” in our evolving culture, Corn’s photomontages combine contrasting images from the past and present: the old sky is often replaced with a contemporary sky; elements of the printing process are highlighted; and she places herself in the scene. These new vistas question perceptions of the natural environment, musing: What draws us to these locations and why? Does one tremble at their own insignificance in the face of such wild grandeur? Does “capturing” these landscapes add to our own personal sense of worth?
Ready or Not Naomi J Falk
Three dozen mylar emergency blankets hung on coat hooks lining the walls of a small temporary room. These also held tandem references to the climate crisis, flood risk and response, emergency situations, and the refugees children, who had only these blankets for warmth and comfort.
Tardigrades Andy Bennett
Tardigrades (or Water Bears) are water-dwelling creatures known for their resiliency. The eight-legged invertebrates can survive for up to thirty years without food or water and can endure extreme temperatures, radiation exposure, and the vacuum of space.
Andy’s work reminds us of what was here before us and what will remain after human life no longer inhabits the Earth. What can we learn from the smallest organisms, like tardigrades? Obviously we cannot grow six more legs or live 30 years without food or water, but we can learn from their resiliency. Humans have lived on Earth for over 6 million years, but how we have lived for only the last few hundred have turned the Earth into an uninhabitable space, and no one is to blame but human-kind. The choices we make today, along with the actions we must demand from corporations and governments, will determine how not only human life, but all life, will move forward.