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NEWS FLASH: SPECIAL LAST MINUTE BONUS PERK ADDED!!
See the "Apple Tree" in the Perks box to the right for how to get a copy of this image The Gate (from my series The Dominion of Trees) for just $35! I decided to add this image since it's a favorite of mine and as one of my friends commented after seeing it: "This kind of represents life. We think we have this obstacle in front of us - but in this case we don't even need to figure out how to open the gate - we just need to walk around it." So for all those obstacles you think are stopping you from moving forward in your life - take a second look at them - they might not be as hard to get around as you think!
Now back to our previous programming:
The Witness Tree is a series of
photographs of landscapes that are being affected by climate change. I plan to
spend the next year documenting sites around the world that are being affected.
I am targeting locations that represent a diversity of natural environments
and cultures to demonstrate that this is indeed a global epidemic. From the
melting Arctic ice cap to wild fires in Australia, I have selected places that
will represent how geographically widespread the climate crisis is. Through a
blog during my travels as well as exhibitions and slideshow presentations when
I return to the States, I hope to create awareness and inspire others to be
proactive in the fight against climate change.
Many experts in the field of environmental science agree that the
earth is warming and that humans are largely responsible. (For more information on climate change please see link below.) The more I learned about
climate change the more I knew I wanted to respond as an artist to this issue
and thats how The Witness Tree was
born.
What is a Witness Tree, you may ask?
By tradition, a witness tree is used in land surveying to mark a
property corner that cannot be reached because it lies off a cliff or in a body
of water. The term also refers to trees that have witnessed historic events;
i.e. an old honey locust that existed during the battle of Gettysburg. I
will be photographing many trees that are observing the changes in the land
around them. In essence, my eyes and my camera will also be witnesses and
the resulting pictures will act as permanent documents of these precious and
precarious environments.
In the Beginning
I was first inspired to begin this project while Iceland on an artists residency and noted the increase in the melting of their glaciers since my previous visit there several years before. After doing a significant amount of research this past year I started photographing locations in the US such as Lake Erie, whose water level has declined over 3 feet in the past fifteen years and the lodge pole pines in Colorado that are being decimated by the pine beetle which has survived milder winters to attack the drought-weakened trees in greater force. In order to fully respond to and depict this crisis I plan to travel to targeted locations around the globe (see links below). I recognize that most methods of travel involve adding more carbon to the atmosphere. This is a concern for me but I weighed the factors and decided that this project is a worthy pursuit. I have been granted a yearlong sabbatical from Nassau Community College where I am a fulltime professor of photography. This gift of time to work is very important but I also need your support to help make this happen.
This is where Indiegogo and you come in
I know this is an ambitious endeavor but I am wholly committed to it
as I feel very passionate about the environment and I hope you do too.
Its the only world we have and the shifts in the climate weve been
experiencing are getting pretty scary.
I have been saving my pennies, selling my artwork, shooting
freelance jobs and applying for grants in order to raise funds for this
project. I hope that those who are interested in environmental issues and/or
just want to support my art will consider making a donation. My perks start at
$15 but you can give just a $1 or $5 if you want. Your financial assistance
will go toward my travel expenses (transportation, lodging, meals) and making
work prints of the images when I return.
I travel very inexpensively and with as little impact as
possible (I prefer bikes to cars, camping to fancy hotels) but any of you who
have gotten on a plane recently know that the cost of travel has gone up. I
plan to travel contiguously to keep costs and my carbon footprint down as much
as possible and will purchase carbon offsets for the miles I fly. When possible
I hope to take trains or buses instead of planes.
Hooray! Tax deductions!
I am very grateful to have Fractured Atlas acting as my fiscal
sponsor. Since they are a 501c3 nonprofit they can bestow tax deduction letters
in return for your contribution (see Perks box to right for thank-you gifts
and each levels tax deductible amount). I have a working itinerary of sites
I want to visit but the more funds I can raise, the more places I can
photograph.
Whether you make a donation or not, one way you can help is by sending along the link to this campaign to your family, friends, coworkers, or favorite bloggers who you think might be interested in The Witness Tree. Or if you know of someone in my targeted locations who can offer me some advice or a couch to sleep on, that information is very valuable too. And, last but not least, if any of you are interested in joining me for part of my trip, drop me a note!
Feel free to write me with any questions. And please send this on to folks you think you might be interested in this project. Thank you for your
support!
Links to more information and images:
Climate Change related websites
