Picturing High Places in the Anthropocene: Continuity and Change in High Mountains and the Arctic

High places––mountains and the Arctic––are home to some of the planet’s most distinctive cultures, unique ecosystems, and compelling landscapes; they are also among the most environmentally sensitive areas on the planet. In this exhibition, environmental change researcher Graham McDowell drew together photographs from his work in high places (e.g. Greenland, the Himalayas, and the Canadian Arctic) to help ground-truth our understanding of the Anthropocene, a new period in Earth’s history. His photographs revealed the multitude of ways in which places, people, and ecosystems in high mountains and the Arctic experience and respond to environmental change, drawing attention to the tension between profound change and often underappreciated occurrences of socio-ecological continuity. Please find Graham’s full bio here.