The Meadow and the Two Ponds 2008 - ongoing (Revised 12-18)
Inkjet prints 18 x12"
Note: This project is an ongoing poetic documentation
of the meadow behind our house; it is also part one of a
four part series, begun in 2010 entitled the Hydrofracking Suite.
four part series, begun in 2010 entitled the Hydrofracking Suite.
My wife and I live on the edge of a beautiful meadow not far from Canandaigua Lake, one of the Finger Lakes of NY State . I love watching the daily and seasonal changes of light, color and atmosphere that transform the meadow, sky and the tapering woods behind it. There are two ponds in the meadow: they not only reflect the light of the heavens; they are like eyes which are constantly watching us humans and our various forms of folly which threaten the well being of the natural world.
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I took most of the photographs you'll see here from the back deck of our house looking NorthWest and SouthWest. Some were taken from inside the meadow itself. I began this body of work when my wife and I first moved to Canandaigua (from Milwaukee) in the summer of 2008. The Meadow and the Two Ponds is an ongoing project; I add photographs to the series periodically.
I make these photographs with not only a growing love for the natural world, but also with a heartfelt deepening concern for the well being of our entire planet due to Climate Change and its denial by the Trump Administration. At the end of 2018 it has become undeniably clear that the terrifying, dangerous affects of Climate Change will have a massive health, infrastructure, and economic impact on the Culture, the environment of every country in the world, and the Planet as a whole--all within possibly the next twelve years (or less) if a major, shared Global Effort does not begin to happen right now, December, 2018. There is presently-- I can't believe I have to say this--little or no political will to change anything by most of the biggest fossil fuel producers in the world, including the Untied States. I have written a bit more about this in my Afterword which follows the photographs.
When I make photographs, I try to see past my fears and anger and frustrations and acknowledge the sacredness of the land which is alive with a consciousness not unlike our own. May these photographs serve as something like a prayer against the present and probable future of devastating horrors that the mining and consumption of fossil fuels could bring to every person, every family, every aspect of land, water, and air in our country, and around the Planet as a whole. [Note: I see also my introductory text to Part IV of the Hydrofracking Suite]
I make these photographs with not only a growing love for the natural world, but also with a heartfelt deepening concern for the well being of our entire planet due to Climate Change and its denial by the Trump Administration. At the end of 2018 it has become undeniably clear that the terrifying, dangerous affects of Climate Change will have a massive health, infrastructure, and economic impact on the Culture, the environment of every country in the world, and the Planet as a whole--all within possibly the next twelve years (or less) if a major, shared Global Effort does not begin to happen right now, December, 2018. There is presently-- I can't believe I have to say this--little or no political will to change anything by most of the biggest fossil fuel producers in the world, including the Untied States. I have written a bit more about this in my Afterword which follows the photographs.
*
When I make photographs, I try to see past my fears and anger and frustrations and acknowledge the sacredness of the land which is alive with a consciousness not unlike our own. May these photographs serve as something like a prayer against the present and probable future of devastating horrors that the mining and consumption of fossil fuels could bring to every person, every family, every aspect of land, water, and air in our country, and around the Planet as a whole. [Note: I see also my introductory text to Part IV of the Hydrofracking Suite]
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Through this growing collection of photographs I also want to pay homage to the great French poet, Francis Ponge, who takes "the side of things" in his poetry, especially the things of the natural world. His book The Making of the Pre' [Meadow] has been an important influence upon this project. For Ponge everything in the meadow and in this world is intelligent, filled with some inexplicable, silent awareness that is constantly watching us, and longing for us to hear its pleas.Welcome to The Meadow project.
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Click on images one, twice, to get a closer look.
There are two parts to this project:
I :The North Meadow &
II : The South-West Meadow
There are two parts to this project:
I :The North Meadow &
II : The South-West Meadow
* Part I *
The North Meadow
North Meadow #1 Spring
North Meadow #2 Fall
North Meadow #3 Winter
North Meadow #4 Fog
North Meadow #5
North Meadow #6 Rainbow
North Meadow #7
North Meadow #8 V Flight of Birds
North Meadow #9 Iced Pond
North Meadow #10
North Meadow #11 Early morning snow
North Meadow #12
North Meadow #13
North Meadow #14
North Meadow #15
North Meadow #16 Snow dusted meadow
North Meadow #17
North Meadow #18 Snow covered pond at dusk
North Meadow #19
North Meadow #20 Mist rising from the pond
North Meadow #21 Iced pond and streak of fog
North Meadow #22
North Meadow #23
North Meadow #24
North Meadow #25
North Meadow #26
North Meadow #27
North Meadow #28
North Meadow #29
North Meadow #30
* Part II *
The South-West Meadow
The South-West Meadow
South-West Meadow #1
South-West Meadow #2
South-West Meadow #3 Streak of fog
South-West Meadow #4
South-West Meadow #5
South-West Meadow #6 Conference of the birds
South-West Meadow #7 Cloud form
South-West Meadow #8
South-West Meadow #9
South-West Meadow #10 Moon fall
South-West Meadow #11
South-West Meadow #12
South-West Meadow #13 Light rays
South-West Meadow #14
South-West Meadow #15
South-West Meadow #16 Frozen pond, late fall
South-West Meadow #17
South-West Meadow #18
South-West Meadow #19
South-West Meadow #20
South-West Meadow #21
South-West Meadow #22 Rain in the sunsetting west
South-West Meadow #23
South-West Meadow #24
South-West Meadow #25
South-West Meadow #26
South-West Meadow #27
South-West Meadow #28
South-West Meadow #29
South-West Meadow #30
South-West Meadow #31
South-West Meadow #32
South-West Meadow #33
South-West Meadow #34
South-West Meadow #35
South-West Meadow #36
South-West Meadow #37
South-West Meadow #38
South-West Meadow #42
South-West Meadow #43
__________________________________ __________________________________
South-West Meadow #39
South-West Meadow #40
South-West Meadow #41
__________________________________ __________________________________
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This is an ongoing project.
Additional images will be added
from time to time. Please check back.
Afterword
This meadow and its two liquid eyes see how we allow dog feces to collect unattended, and how we spray pesticides all over our lawns which then contaminate the meadow and its ponds. The dangerous chemicals used on lawns can make people and animals very ill, and they eventually get into Canandaigua Lake which is already suffering from all kinds of environmental issues including an increased rate of growth of algae.
After many years of battling with New York State politicians, and the Gas and Oil Industry, the citizens, scientists, and powerful environmental groups of New York State have at last convinced Gov. Cuomo that Hydrofracking would be bad for the State's well being in terms of environmental and human health, the farming, wine and tourism industries, and much more. But there are things going on below the field of our public awareness that continue to place this State at risk and contribute to the rapidly progressing Global Crisis known as Climate Change.
Hydrofracking is an aggressively devastating, polluting assault upon the environment, and the people and wildlife and farm animals who are impacted by it. It is going unbridled in the Western States; the gas and oil giants are trying to step on Indian Territories, individuals' rights, deep vast waters, ice covered regions . . . in this country and all over the world.
Hydrofracking uses huge amounts of valuable potable fresh water in its drilling and other stages of the process, and the toxic chemicals used with the water contaminates the water, the land, the nearby ground waters, and the air. The methane that escapes into the atmosphere from various aspects of the process is destroying the ozone layer above the Earth which protects the planet from excessive exposure to the sun.
One drilling process may use 1-8 million gallons per well. Thus there is a growing demand for fresh potable water; one day--it has been projected--wars will be waged over the need to have access to fresh water. Indeed we are seeing it already. Why in the world would NY State ever seriously consider a process that would destroy its precious waters (including its famous Finger Lakes) for a limited amount of natural gas that must be obtained by such a dangerously aggressive and toxic process, a process that has such huge environmental and health impacts both locally and globally?
Though I continue to make Meadow photographs whenever I am moved to do so, I experience at times a feeling of impending fear and longing. As I write this text, at the close of 2018, Climate Change has become a much more serious threat to the Planet as a whole than it was ten years ago when I began the project, and yet there is very little political will to make an effort to at least slow down the now unstoppable process of Climate Change.
I have two beautiful grandchildren. What natural, cultural and economic disasters awaits them in the next 10-20-30 years as a result of Climate Change, a human-created nightmare? There are many things each person, each country, every political body can do that will slow the process of Climate Change.
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Sustainable energy alternatives are the only real solution for the long term survival of our planet. Global Warming is exacerbated by fossil fuel production such as hydrofracking and coal mining, and our use of fossil fuels in industry and at home. Electric manufactured from sustainable energy forces (sunlight and wind) for cars and heating, reducing the consumption of meat, increased consumption of vegetable based foods, are a good start.
More and more aggressive forms of Fires, Floods, Earthquakes; Rising Water Levels; the warming and acidification or the Ocean; the melting of major glaciers, and each of our planet's polar ice caps . . . all this and more is the result of human folly (greed, power plays, the desire of individuals over the needs of the many, mis-information, ignorance, political corruption . . . ).
More and more aggressive forms of Fires, Floods, Earthquakes; Rising Water Levels; the warming and acidification or the Ocean; the melting of major glaciers, and each of our planet's polar ice caps . . . all this and more is the result of human folly (greed, power plays, the desire of individuals over the needs of the many, mis-information, ignorance, political corruption . . . ).
May the beauty and well being of our Natural World prevail. It is up to us now! The effort must be individual, but equally important it must be a united political Global effort, which reflects the will of the people.
May these Meadow photographs, and my other photographs of the Natural World serve as a blessing upon our planet Earth.
May these Meadow photographs, and my other photographs of the Natural World serve as a blessing upon our planet Earth.
Websites and Individuals to follow regarding Climate Change, and Hydrofracking:
New Yorkers Against Fracking
350.org
Environmental Advocates for New York
Sandra Steingraber click here
Walter Hang, Toxics Targeting click here
350.org
Environmental Advocates for New York
Sandra Steingraber click here
Walter Hang, Toxics Targeting click here
James Northrup click here
Dr. Robert Howarth, Global Warming click here
Tony Ingraffea click here
Other related Photography Projects:
The Collected Landscape Photography Projects
The Sacred Art Photography Projects
The Sacred Art Photography Projects
Welcome Page to The Departing Landscape website which includes the complete hyperlinked listing of my online photography projects dating back to the 1960's, my resume, contact information, and more.
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