The world from above: A new perspective on climate change
The Earthrise photo, captured by astronaut William Anders during the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, sparked the modern ecological movement. It's a powerful reminder of the impact that a single image can have, and how a shift in perspective can change the way we see the world. This is a lesson that's been embraced by the photographers featured in the new exhibition, Extinction: Renewal, Art of a Living Planet, at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England.
The show brings together photography, film, and sculpture within four themed zones: Extinction, Climate, Community, and Renewal. It's a journey through time and space, offering a unique perspective on our planet's current state. Many of the photographs on display share an interesting approach: to see things as they really are, you first have to gain some altitude.
One of the most striking images in the exhibition is Daniel Beltrá's shot of Iceland's Høvíta River. From above, the river's blues and golds, formed by a mixture of glacial meltwater and sediment, marble together in a way that resembles an abstract painting. It's a beautiful and thought-provoking image, but it's also a powerful reminder of the fragility of our planet's ecosystems.
Another standout image is Sebastião Salgado's aerial shot of Alaska's Brooks Range. The entire mountain range and its river system are brought into a single composition, awe-inspiring in its breadth and detail. It's a humbling reminder of the vastness of our planet and the interconnectedness of its systems.
Paul Nicklen's drone shot of a polar bear crossing sea ice is another powerful image. From ground level, we would see the bear's eye contact, sense of human-animal scale, and sentimental feeling towards the subject. But from above, all of that is stripped away, leaving a clean, almost geometrical composition. The bear is just a single white shape next to a crack in the ice, emphasizing its vulnerability against forces far larger than itself.
Richard Mosse pushes this sense of detachment even further with his shot of log barges. His use of infrared, rendering the vegetation red and water black, is an inspired decision, swapping objectivity for a clear editorial line in the visual itself. It's a powerful statement on the impact of human activity on our planet's ecosystems.
What makes these images particularly fascinating is the way they challenge our assumptions about the world. We often see things from a ground-level perspective, but these photographs encourage us to step back, up, and outwards from the detail, and see things from a wider perspective. It's a reminder that there's more to the story than what meets the eye.
The lesson for photographers here is clear: whether you're shooting wildlife, landscapes, or other natural phenomena, there's often an argument for stepping back and seeing things from a wider perspective. It's a powerful tool for telling a different story, one that can reveal larger patterns and deeper truths.
Extinction: Renewal, Art of a Living Planet runs at the Eden Project, Bodelva, St Austell, Cornwall, PL24 2SG. The exhibition is a powerful reminder of the impact that a shift in perspective can have, and how photography can be a powerful tool for conveying the state of our planet. It's a must-see for anyone interested in the environment and the power of visual storytelling.
Personally, I think this exhibition is a powerful statement on the impact of climate change and the need for a more sustainable future. It's a call to action, a reminder that we all have a role to play in protecting our planet. And it's a testament to the power of art and photography to inspire and motivate change.
