Skógarfoss waterfall in two parts
An exclusive, limited-edition series of cyanotype prints addressing the pressing subject of marine pollution and the inherent beauty of the planet’s simple life forms. Phytoplankton, the oceanic single-cell organisms, display a wondrous number of geometric shapes and natural forms that have an eerily abstract quality. The intricate and symmetrical patterns of diatoms, in particular, have a striking similarity with mandalas which, according to the psychoanalyst Carl Jung, symbolically represent ’the Self’. The idea for this series was born when artist Inga Lisa Middleton learned that phytoplankton, single-cell oxygen-producing organisms vital for human existence, are being affected by pollution caused by man and thus serve as an emblem of the self-destructive nature of human behavior.
Credits:
Chiara Lapucci: CNR-IBIMET (National Research Council - Institute of BioMeteorology) LaMMA. Consortium (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the sustainable development) Florence, Italy.
Microscopy photography: Rick van den Enden@The Australian Antarctic Division
Diatoms of North America /Microscopy photography: Ian Bishop, Emily.R.Nodine and more.
I have always been enthralled by the inherent beauty and intelligence of whales and the important role they play in our ecological system; they are living examples of interconnectedness in nature.
Whales play a crucial role in our environment, redistributing nutrients across the seas. These are essential to the marine ecosystem and the production of phytoplankton which produce over half of the world's oxygen. Scientists believe that helping whale populations recover from overharvesting can help reduce greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.
The Latin name of the humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, means "big wing of New England." It refers to their giant pectoral fins which are primarily used for maneuvering and providing sudden bursts of acceleration. The Latin name of the humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, means "big wing of New England." It refers to their giant pectoral fins which are primarily used for maneuvering and providing sudden bursts of acceleration.
With this series, I want to highlight the plight of some of the world’s most endangered ocean species.
I’ve chosen a format in the shape and likeness of traditional religious icons to emphasize these creatures’ preciousness. To portray them not as broken or in distress, but to show them looking directly into the camera lens looking strong, beautiful, and unique - as they should be.
“Today, our oceans face many threats including plastic pollution, over-fishing, and global warming forcing many of its creatures to the brink of extinction.
The world is a single interconnected organism, as Alexander von Humboldt, an 18th-century scientist, and explorer stated. This vision is the concept of nature as we know it today: everything, to the smallest creature, has its role and together makes the whole, in which humankind is just one small part. The ocean covers 71% of our planet and has crucial roles such as maintaining climate equilibrium, and oxygen production: not only the trees produce the oxygen we breathe, but our oceans are at least as important for producing healthy air.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List has assessed around 85,000 species of which almost 25,000 face extinction. According to the World Wildlife Fund, Living Planet Report 2016, loss and degradation of habitat and climate change are the main threats for the loss of species. As the rate of extinction is going at a faster speed than ever before, understanding the reasons for the decline of animal and plant species is essential to protect them and the future of human life.”
Chiara Lapucci, National Research Council IBE (Institute of BioEconomy) - LaMMA Consortium, Italy.
Though widely distributed, they are critically endangered, with an estimated population of fewer than 25,000 nesting females.
Original Photograph: Tanya Puntti
Highly vulnerable to overfishing because it’s a valued luxury food as a part of the live reef fish trade predominant across Southeast Asia.
Original Photograph : Tanya Puntti
Despite not being threatened overall, subpopulations are listed as critically endangered and fae increased mortality from human actions.
Original Photograph : Christopher Meder
There are fewer than 600 breeding pairs alive today.
Original Photograph : Nilanjan Bhattacharya
Scientists estimate that there were about 30,000 Hector's dolphins in the 1970s. Now there are just over 7,000.
Original Photograph : Chalita Klumjui
There are only about 1,400 left in the world and their population is about one-third of historic levels.
Original Photograph : David Fleetham/OceanwideImages.com
The distribution of whale sharks indicates the presence of plankton and the overall health of our oceans. Demand for their meat, fins, and oil remains a threat to the species, particularly by unregulated fisheries.
Original Photograph : Krzysztof Odziomek
A series of cyanotypes from Iceland. The images have duel meanings; They display the poetic symbols of Iceland as well as their practical function - the sublime waterfalls that function as a source of hydroelectric power; the fists sight of the golden plover that heralds the end of the long winter; the wild-growing angelica as the elixir of life, historically protecting against contagion; and the stoic Icelandic horse, that acted for centuries as the only means of transport over a landscape of lava fields, snow, and rivers.
The blue hues of the Cyanotype process capture the mystique and beauty of ocean life perfectly.
Icebergs are a prominent feature in my native Icelandic culture. They represent danger for ships and terror for the population in the northern regions, for they can bring rampaging Polar-bears to the shore. I‘m fascinated by their sculptural shapes and luminosity, and by the idea that only the very tip of the iceberg is visible. As Ernest Hemingway so beautifully suggests: „Just like an iceberg remains largely unseen beneath the surface, a writer can leave parts of a story unwritten.“ The glaciers of Iceland are melting. These images feature icebergs that have broken away from Iceland‘s largest glacier, Vatnajökull, and are floating on the Jökulsárlón lagoon. - Printed on Arches: Aquarelle: 300gsm: Hot Pressed Watercolor paper.
