In the End a Devastating Beauty by susanhoffmanfishman

IntheEndaDevastatingBeauty

SusanHoffmanFishman&LeslieSobel

Stand4Gallery,Brooklyn,NY

January-February2024

AViewfromtheHeavens

Takinginthecosmicaswellasterrestrialelementsofageocenteredapproachrequirescollectiveeffortstoconstruct differentsocialimaginaries,ataskforwhichliteratureand theartsareeminentlysuitedinsofarastheyfocusonthe analysisofculturalrepresentationsandinterpretationsof whatitmeanstobehuman.

Braidotti(2019,p.81)

PosthumanKnowledge

Thesebreathtakingviewsalsodecenterourhumanness. Theyshowusaworldthatisaliveasoneorganism, whereeverythingisconnected,andhowallactions haveconsequences.Theypresentaviewofourplace withinthenaturalsystems,wherenonhumanentities co-existwithhumans.Theyalsorevealthescarsof destructionwhenonespeciesstepsawayfromthis living,collaborativenetwork.

Mid-December,2023.

TherosesinmyBrooklyngardenarestillbloomingand thepale,purplepetuniasinmybackyardarea beautiful,butjarringsightsetamongtheusualwinter paletteofbrownsandgreys.Iorientmyselfdailywith theskyandmygarden.Theyareaconstantsourceof magicandbeauty.Ineverfearedthisbeautybefore,but overtheyears,boththeskyandmygardenhavealso shownthemselvestobeportentsoftheprecarityofa worldincrisis.RagingfiresinCanadacreateda preternaturalhueinmyskyviewthissummer,andfor decadesmygarden’swarmgrowingseasonhasbeen inchingcloserandclosertotheWinterSolstice,atime whenlifeinthegardenshouldbeatrest.Fromthe vantagepointofmygarden,myviewislimited. However,technologyallowsustosoarintotheheavens andgainagranderperspective,wheresatellitesturn ourgazetowardsEarth.Whilethisviewisbeautiful,it alsorevealsthefragilityofourplanet.Wearefaced withthedamagecausedbyourindustrial,extractive, anthropocentricexistence.Ouractionsaresomassive thattheyregisterfromthefar,outerreachesofour atmosphereassatelliteimagesbringhomeviewsof sinkholes,massivefires,meltingpermafrost,andother scarsofawarmingworld.

Fortheexhibition, IntheEndaDevastatingBeauty, environmentalartistsSusanHoffmanFishmanand LeslieSobelhoneinonthesalient,visiblescarsofthe landscapeandenvironmentalchangesthathave occurredtobodiesofwater.Workingwithscientistsat PlanetLabsinSanFrancisco,CA,aglobalsatellite imagingcompany,theyusedsatelliteimagery,on-thegroundresearch,andtheiraestheticstoproducea collaborativebodyofworkthatspeakstothe devastatingbeautyofourplanetaswellasthevisual beautyofthedevastationthatisacceleratingthe transformationofourwarmingplanet. IntheEndA DevastatingBeauty istheproductofahealthyecosystem madeupoftheexchangeoftechnology,scholarship, andvisionbetweencurious,caringprofessionals.A placewithouthierarchy,whereonecanfluidlychange perspectivesinthecourseoflearning.Weneedthese collaborativespacestomoveforwardandmovebeyond despair.

SobelandFishmanchosetoworktogetherfor inspirationandwaystovisuallyandconceptually articulatetheirconcernsaboutclimatechange.They continuetocollaborateknowingthattheirvoices togetherarestrongerandmoresound.Thismindsetis

inkeepingwiththemissionofStand4Gallery; toserve asacatalysttocreateasociallyandenvironmentallyjust andsustainablefuture,inclusiveofcommunityvoices…

Theirexhibition, IntheEndADevastatingBeauty highlightsthesublimebeautyofourplanetandthe damageweinflictandchallengesustoreflectonwhat wearelosingduetoouractionsandinactions.Welook tothefutureandaskhowwearechangingtheworld, andhowtheworldischangingus?Wefindourselves atthethresholdofanewbecoming,onethatwill requireasloughingoffofthehumanhierarchytoform adeeperunderstandingofourplacewithinthenatural systemswherenon-humanentitiesco-existwith humans.Weneedloveandrespectforourworldand allofitsentities,tocreateandsustainanadvanced, ethicalmovementtowardabetterfuture.

JeannineBardo Founder/ArtisticDirector

Left:SusanHoffmanFishman, TheEarthisBreakingBeautifully VII,acrylic,oilpigment,satelliteimages,cyanotype andmixedmediaonpaper51”x51”,2023

Right:TheEarthisBreakingBeautifully: SiberianTaiga,acrylic,oilpigment,satelliteimages,cyanotypeandmixed mediaonpaper51”x51”,2023

AlternativePerspectives

ViewingtheEarthfromspaceputstheworldinto perspective.Youcanseehowstrikinglybeautifulevery pieceofitisinitsownway,howdistincteveryforest anddesertandcoastlinetrulyare.Nearlyeverywhere youlookinasatelliteimage,youcanalsoseethe impactoflife.Startwithcities,thenfollowtheroads outtothemoreruralareas.There,youseewidespread agriculturalactivityandpasturesforanimals.Follow theroadslongenough,andtheyeventuallyterminate andgivewaytothenaturallandscape.Thechangesin vegetationleftbehindascreaturesmigratecanbe visiblefromspace—fromswarmsoflocusts,toherds ofwildebeests,totinywombats.Evenpodsofwhales andcoralreefscanbespottedfromspace.Theactions andpatternsoflifeonEarthareclearlyvisiblealmost everywhere,everyday.

Inthespanofdays,massivealgalbloomscanappear anddisappearinbodiesofwatersuchasLakeErieand LakeOkeechobee.Whiletheyarevisuallystunningin satelliteimages,sometimescoveringhugeswathsof theselakes,theircauseismuchmoresinister:Pollution. Runoffcarryingelementslikephosphorus,carbon,and nitrogenfromchemicalfertilizersandmanureprovides aprimefoodsourceforthesealgalblooms.These bloomsinturncanhaveahostoftoxicsideeffectsto humansandwildlife.Theeffectsarenotcontainedto thelakeseither;heavyrainfallcanleadtospilloverinto thelocalwatersupply,insomecasescausingmulti-day shutdowns.Withrisingglobaltemperatures,more unpredictablerainfallpatterns,andincreasingcarbon levelsinouratmosphere,theconditionsforthesealgal bloomstothriveareonlybecomingmoreandmore hospitable.

Ontheothersideoftheglobe,theimpactsof climatechangeandhumanactionhavemanifested assinkholesdottingtheDeadSea.Receding shorelinesfromdiversionofthewatersourcesthat feeditinIsrael,Syria,andJordan,combinedwith increasingtemperaturesandreducedrainfallto replenishthelake,aredestroyingthenatural landscapeasthesaltdissolvesandcollapses.These effectsareirreparable;a3-million-year-oldwonder, vanishinginthecourseofahumanlifetime.

MeanwhileintheArctic,increasingtemperatures haveledtomeltingofpermafrost,causingthe groundtocollapseandformwhatgeologistscall “thermokarstdepressions”acrosstheSiberiantaiga. In2022,highsummertimetemperaturesinSvalbard andGreenlandledtorecordhighlevelsofglacial melting,shatteringpreviousrecordsfrom2018.The retreatoftheseglaciersnotonlyaffectsfragileArctic ecosystems,buttherapidreleaseofmassive amountsofcoldmeltwaterinfluencesentireocean currents,impactingmarinelifeandglobalweather patterns.

Theimpactsofclimatechangeacrossourentire planetarecapturedinsatelliteimagery,and dutifullyanalyzedbyteamsofscientists.But humansarecreaturesdrivenbyemotion,notdata. NASAAstronautFrankBorman,oneofthefirst humanstoflyaroundtheMoonontheApollo8 mission,oncesaiduponviewingEarthfloatingin thedarknessofspace,“Theyshouldhavesentpoets andnotastronauts,becausewecouldn’tcapturethe grandeurofwhatwehadseen.”Thisiswhere

artistsplayacriticalrole.Theyhavetheunique abilitytotranslatedataintoemotioninawaythat scientistsoftencannot—awaythatcaninspire broaderaction.Asascientistmyself,gettingthe opportunitytoworkwithartistslikeLeslieSobeland SusanHoffmanFishmanhasgivenmeanother perspectivethroughwhichtoviewourplanet, beyondthepixelsofasatelliteimage.ImetLeslie andSusanthroughtheArtistinResidenceProgram atPlanetLabs,whereartistsarebroughtonboardfor threemonthstocreatepiecesofworkinspiredby satelliteimagery.Theirviewsoftheworld immediatelystruckachordwithme—andIamsure theirperspectivesexpressedin IntheEnda DevastatingBeauty willspeaktoothersaswell.

TanyaHarrisonPh.D. DirectorofScienceforImpactatPlanetLabs duringFishmanandSobel'sresidency

Co-Founder&CEO,EarthandPlanetary

InstituteofCanada Fellow,OuterSpaceInstitute

SusanHoffmanFishman, SiberianScroll4,satelliteimages,cyanotypeandteaonpaper,8.5”x44”,2022

SusanHoffmanFishman, SiberianScroll, satelliteimagesandcyanotypeonpaper,7.5”x29.5”,2022

SusanHoffmanFishman, DeadSeaScroll:Then,Now,satelliteimages,cyanotype,historicalmapandmixed mediaonpaper,11”x33.5”,2023

SusanHoffmanFishman, DesertificationTriptych,1of3,satelliteimages, cyanotypeandmixedmediaonboard,12”x12”,2023

SusanHoffmanFishman, DesertificationTriptych,2of3,satelliteimages, cyanotypeandmixedmediaonboard,12”x12”,2023

SusanHoffmanFishman, DesertificationTriptych,3of3,satelliteimages, cyanotypeandmixedmediaonboard,12”x12”,2023

IntheEndaDevastatingBeauty

IntheEndADevastatingBeauty isthecombinedresultof ourjoint,2021three-monthartistresidencyatPlanet LabsinSanFrancisco,CA.Asaglobalsatelliteimaging company,Planet’shundredsofDovesatellites photographtheentireworldonadailybasis.Itsdatais utilizedbyscientists,businesses,governments, researchersandjournalists.Inestablishinganartist residency,Planetscientistswantedtoseewhatartists coulddowiththeirimages.Theexhibitionincludes workproducedduringandafteroureye-opening experience.

InspiredbyPlanetimages,wedevelopedworkthat emphasizesnotonlythedevastationoftheDeadSea, Siberia,LakeErie,LakeOkeechobeeandtheArctic,but theironicbeautyofthatdevastation.Thethousandsof sinkholesaroundtheDeadSeaarefilledwithwater coloredaspectacularcobaltblue,brilliantyellowochre andlusciouslimegreenbymineralsinthegroundand water;thelandscapearoundthesinkholesinSiberiais stunningandeerilygraphic;Thegreenpatternsof HarmfulAlgaeBloominLakeEriearesimilarly dazzling;andtheArcticlandscapeisdramaticand beautifulbeyondwords.Hencethetitleofour exhibition.

Ourcollaborativeworkisadialoguebetweenimagesof devastationandbeautybytwoartistswithdifferent approachestoandinterpretationsofscientificdata.The collaborationisnotnew.Webeganworkingtogetherin 2019,duringtheheightoftheCOVID-19pandemicona travelingexhibitioncalled ClimateConversations:AllWe CanSave,whichwasinstalledingalleriesinAnnArbor andWestBloomfield,MichiganandattheNurture/ NatureCenterinEaston,PA.Wearecurrently

travelingacollaborative,multi-mediainstallationthat linksfutureapocalypticfloodpredictionstotheancient floodnarrativeofNoah,theworld’sfirstapocalyptic flood.Entitled, Flood2.0,theworkwasinstalledinthe springof2023atFivePointsGalleryinTorrington,CT andwillbeinstalledinthespringof2024attheEly CenterofContemporaryArtinNewHaven,CT.

Whatwegainfromworkingtogetherismorethanthe mergingoftwopointsofviewandworkingstyles–it’s aloudervoiceandastrongernarrativeaboutclimate changeitself.

SusanHoffmanFishmanandLeslieSobel January,2024

SusanHoffmanFishman, ThenandNow,acrylic,oilpigment,satellite images,cyanotypeandmixedmediaonboard,18”x18,”2023.

SusanHoffmanFishman, Desertification:AnArtist’sBook,acrylic,satelliteimages,cyanotype, historicalmapsandmixedmediaonpaper,7.5”x44”,2023

SusanHoffmanFishman, TheEarthisBreakingBeautifully:AnArtist’sBook#2, acrylic,satelliteimages, cyanotype,andmixedmediaonpaper,8”x58”,2023

Bios

SusanHoffmanFishmanisamixed-mediapainter, environmentalartistandartswriterwhoseworkhas beenexhibitedwidelyinmuseumsandgalleries throughouttheUnitedStates.Therecipientofmultiple grantsandartistresidencies,sheresidesinWest Hartford,CT.Since2011,herpracticehasfocusedon waterinthecontextofclimatechange,includingrising seas,desertification,andtheproliferationofsinkholes aroundtheworld.From2017–2022,Fishmanwrotea monthlycolumncalled“ImaginingWater”forthe internationalblog, ArtistsandClimateChange,which highlightsartistsofalldisciplinesaroundtheworld whoareworkingonglobalwaterissuesandclimate change.Herarticleshavealsoappearedin Image Journal,Ecoartspaceand ArtSpiel.

LeslieSobelisamixed-mediaandenvironmentalartist. BasedinMichigan,herworkreflectsherconnectionto thenaturalworldandherdeepconcernaboutclimate change.Withabackgroundinscienceandart,she integrateswilderness,scientificfieldworkinremote locationswithphotography,dataandmixedmedia. Sobelhasexhibitedwidelyinmorethan30solo exhibitionsand40groupshows.Inadditiontoherart practice,shehascuratedexhibitionsfocusedonclimate andsocialjusticeissuesandtaughtbothartistsand scientists.Theartistresidenciesthathaveinformedher workinclude:theUniversityofMichigan’sBioStation; theArcticCircle’sexploratoryresidencyaboardtheTall ShipAntigua;theEclipseIceField;theColoradoArt Ranch;andtheUniversityofHartford’s InterdisciplinaryMFAresidencies.

Acknowledgements

Theartistsareverygratefultothefollowing individualsandinstitutionsthatwereinstrumental inthedevelopmentofthisexhibition.

JeannineBardo

Stand4Gallery

TanyaHarrison,PhD

ChristineKitchens

PlanetLabs

TheArcticCircle.org

InsideCover: SusanHoffmanFishman, Siberian Scroll4,satelliteimages,cyanotypeandteaonpaper, 8.5”x44”,2022