Carolyn Monastra
Friday, October 24 - 5:40PM to 6:25PM
Clark Theater
From the melting ice of the Arctic to wildfires in Texas, I have photographed in seventeen countries and on every continent to demonstrate the global nature of this epidemic. Climate change is now ubiquitous, yet many of its effects are difficult to see, let alone photograph. The 8" increase in sea level rise is invisible to many, but ask residents of Khun Samut Chin, Thailand about it and they will point out the utility poles marking their former main road in the Bay of Bangkok.
James Balog's Extreme Ice Survey excels at showing the scale and rapidity of glacier melt, an iconic symbol of climate disruption. My approach has been to work on a more low-key, local level to capture the sublime beauty of climate‐impacted environments. The Latin roots of sublime are sub 'up to' and limen 'threshold'. Many of my photographs depict landscapes at a threshold, a tipping point. I photograph these places to illustrate their preciousness before they are irrevocably gone.
It is not enough to just raise awareness around this critical issue one must also motivate audiences and create actions. After four years of research and photographing I am now working with local and international partners such as The Climate Reality Project, The Human Impacts Institute, and CliMates to disseminate my project and create direct actions with audiences via interactive workshops, performances, and a post-card project.
Dialogue and critique are important to the SPE mission.
Please join the conversation.