Moss grows where once there was only ice. Snowy mountain peaks stand surrounded by desert sands. Streams carve through ice caves leaving wonderful tunnels. The surface of the Earth is in a constant state of change and few places are more dynamic than the Arctic.
A new photography and video undertaking called The Arctic Arts Project aims to capture this environmental evolution, revealing beauty and science along the way.
Kerry Koepping, the director/photographer at the helm of the project, explained that the images and video created in the multi-year photographic study will reveal a unique perspective of environmental evolution few people have witnessed firsthand.
“It was amazing to stand inside a 13,000 year-old tunnel through glacial ice, taking photos and knowing that it could be gone in the next couple of weeks,” Koepping said.
Koepping not only record images of “profound kinetic evolution,” but also shares them with scientists for a deeper understanding of the photographs. Subjects such as evolving glacial fields, unique grasses and mosses growing where once there was only a glacial flow or volcanic outflows provide scientists and others with a rare window into environmental evolution.
“Our initial dialog within the scientific community has been inspiring and motivating,” reports The Arctic Arts. “In capturing a diverse range of imagery from evolving sea ice in Iceland and Greenland, to rolling hills of polygon hammocks in Alaska, to diminishing ice caves in Iceland, the project has provoked an international dialog among geologists, volcanologists, glaciologists and atmospherical researchers.”
The photographs we’ve seen from the project so far are a beautiful and eye-opening document of climate change small and large.
“By understanding what change looks like, we hopefully create a forum for inspiration and dialog on the root causes of problems facing the Arctic,” reports Koepping. “Because we believe that the most direct path to real change is through building grassroots momentum we ask that you join us in this proactive journey.”
For now, the project is the work of Koepping, guide, videographer and soundman Svavar Jonatansson and photographer Iurie Belegurschi, however Koepping said the project may grow to include the work of other adventurers.
Learn more about Arctic Arts on Facebook or ArcticArtsProject.com.
