Charlotte Fowler - Ghost Forests

 A few weeks ago I attended a fascinating talk by Dr. Balay at Christopher Newport University titled Ghost Forest: The Immemorial Age of the Anthropocene. The discussion centered on Maya Lin’s poignant memorial installation, Ghost Forest, which features a grove of bleached Atlantic white cedar trees—trees that once thrived but were killed by saltwater intrusion due to rising sea levels. Maya Lin, an artist and architect known for blending environmental themes with innovative designs (like the iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial), uses her work to spotlight ecological crises. The Ghost Forest exhibit was displayed in Madison Square Garden, New York, attracting a lot of attention from this popular area.Dr. Balay used this installation to explore the Anthropocene, an unofficial epoch marking the profound impact of human activity on Earth's geology and ecosystems. This era captures a shift where human actions, from industrialization to deforestation, have become the dominant force shaping the planet. What struck me most was how Ghost Forest embodies the Anthropocene’s unsettling timelines: the slow demise of ecosystems juxtaposed against humanity's rapid and often destructive changes. It left me reflecting on how art can confront us with the legacies we’re creating and the fragile futures we’re shaping. 

In the discussion portion of the talk, Dr. Balay gave great insight based off his research. A student asked something like, "How can you get someone to truly understand and care about the impacts of climate change, instead of just brushing it off as if it doesn’t affect them?" Dr. Balay responded with a word about experience. For example, bringing this person to experience Maya Lin’s art. Art brings feeling and with it, a shift of perspective happens within a person and is able to visually see how bad are actions are affecting our environment. People are often dismissive of climate change when it's explained through conversation because many are unaware of its impacts—they see the world as it is now as "normal," simply because it's all they’ve ever known.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kip Redick Example of an Outside Reading Post

 Recently I decided to give the renowned masterpiece by Jon Krakauer known as Into the Wild  another read. Needless to say I was just as heartbroken as the first time I read this novel/watched the 2007 film. I felt the need to discuss the work here simply because I feel it relates to a lot of discussions we have been having in class. I mean think about it, a young man sets out across the country to explore creation as it was intended to be experienced. As the story progresses, I remember being left with a sense of wonder, even thinking things along the lines of "I wonder would what happen if I just decided to do this one day?" I feel it's common knowledge how this story ends by now, with the main protagonist passing away alone in the wilderness, no one around for miles due to accidentally ingesting a poisonous plant. Although I have previously discussed how nature is God's most pure creation and should be treated as such, I feel I need to address a differ...
Read more

Kip Redick Introduction

To post, click “new post” to start your entry, you will then be able to write your blog. Make sure to start the blog with your name and the subject of the entry. Blog entries will be considered informal writing assignments and as such will be graded more in relation to content than style. Blog entries will contain questions and answers to questions, as well as reflections which relate to daily classroom discussions, completion of exercises, and reading assignments. Any questions the student has when reading or completing assignments should be written in their blog. Reflections may relate to connections the student makes between discussions in this class and those in other classes, between arguments raised in the readings in this class and those raised in other classes or in informal conversations. Students are encouraged to apply the ideas learned in this class to activities that take place outside of the class. These applications make great reflections. The student should bring questi...
Read more

Book review- The Call of the Wild

 I read The Call of the Wild by Jack London a few years ago and read it a second time a few months ago. It is one of my favorite books, not only because it involves the wilderness, dogs, and wolves but also because of the bond between Buck and John Thornton. At the beginning of the book, we learn that Buck is taken from his home in California and was sold as a sled dog in the Klondike Gold Rush. I remember the book being difficult to read at times due to the abuse that Buck and the other dogs faced, but it also opened my eyes to how important it is to respect every form of life, including a dog’s. While he was cared for and treated well in California, his master, Judge Miller, treated him more as a friend rather than a beloved companion, hence the lack of homesickness expressed by Buck. Even though Buck was a suburban dog, there was always something different about him, he was strong, brave, and fierce. I loved how the book was told from Buck’s perspective, there was so much he did...
Read more