Artist Statement:
We Draw The Lines, But The Weather Decides
No landscape was ever made without a social or political agenda, and today the narrative of climate change has made that fact not only concrete, but didactic. It is irrefutable that the world is changing because of mankind, but what that change means and how it is manifesting before us physically is a much more complicated, chaotic and beautiful story than the one presented in an evening news cycle.
These images were made in Svalbard, an archipelago 1,200 miles north of Norway above the Arctic Circle, in the summer of 2016. Seeing the warmest year on record for the region, I was struck by how completely the environment would change depending on the weather. The photographs presented here are poems on the fluidity of place, celebrating the multitude of a landscape that refused to be any one thing.
The scale of images, as well as their vertical compositions expresses the weight and power the weather imposes upon the land. Other images will temper the narrative of climate change by showing the ways in which the archipelago is capable of adapting, for example showing the field of lavender flowers that emerge when the frost recedes. The title is a quote taken from the lead guide Sarah's explanation of her decision process when planning the landings we would attempt; she and the other guides would plan to their best abilities but always knew that we were ultimately under the jurisdiction of the elements. It was a humbling experience to be so tangibly confronted by the weather. My goal is to broaden the dialogue surrounding climate change, showing the many ways in which a threatened environment responds to transformation.
Artist Bio:
Stephan Jahanshahi is an Iranian American visual artist working primarily in photography. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts MFA Photography program, his work explores how community, environment and narrative shape experience and identity. Born in St. Louis Stephan now lives and works in Seattle.
