Friday Round Up - 25th November, 2016

This week on Photojournalism Now: Friday Round Up it's all about climate change. With the news that the NASA Climate Research centre may close with the new Republican Government in the US, I wanted to show a selection of images that provide irrefutable proof that we are wrecking the planet. I show them despite the fact that we've seen many images like these before. I show them despite the fact that it seems no one in power actually gives a damn. Why bother? Because if we let our voices be silenced, if we throw up our hands in dismay and walk away, 'they' the not so faceless, but immensely powerful, selfish and ignorant men (and it is largely men that are climate skeptics) go unchallenged.

There are many photographers doing amazing work to bring the story of climate change to the public. This week features works by Kerstin Langenberger, Michael Robinson Chavez, Peter McBride, Randy Olson, Mayeta Clark and an astonishing, and worrying series of comparative images by Gary Braasch. What these photos show is that climate change affects everything we need to survive as a species - food, water, air. No one can escape this. Not even the rich, fat cats that think they are above all else.

Special Feature:
Climate Change

(C) Kerstin Langenberger - A starving polar bear in Arctic

(C) Michael Robinson Chavez


(C) Michael Robinson Chavez


(C) Gary Braasch

(C) Peter McBride - Colorado River runs dry

(C) Peter McBride - Colorado River runs dry

(C) Randy Olson, Pakistan

(C) Randy Olson for National Geographic, East Africa

(C) Mayeta Clark, PNG - two million starve a PNG food bowl dries up 2016

(C) Gary Braasch

(C) Gary Braasch

(C) Gary Braasch

(C) Gary Braasch

(C) Gary Braasch

Friday Round Up - 17 April, 2015

This week on Friday Round Up it's all about photography and climate change, with the first Art+Climate=Change Festival to be held in Melbourne featuring a range of exhibitions.

Climate Change Photos* - My Pick:

Photo Courtesy WWF*

(C) Nacho Doce/Reuters*

Drought Australia 2007 (C) Rodney Dekker*

Festival:

ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE 2015

This inaugural festival, presented by CLIMARTE, features 25 exhibitions as well as keynote lectures and public forums.

The Arts have long played a role in recording the human condition and its relationship to nature. As debate around what to do about climate change continues to be bogged down in politics, artists around the world are uniting to bring the issue wider attention.

Earlier this year we saw the launch of #Everydayclimatechange, a movement of photographers keen to draw focus on the perils of doing nothing about environmental degradation.

Now it’s ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE 2015 presented by CLIMARTE: arts for a safer climate, an independent charity founded by Australians Guy Abrahams, Fiona Armstrong and Deborah Hart. All three are passionate about enlisting the arts to help affect cultural change and they've brought together a formidable program to engage the community.

The intention of ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE 2015 is to “inform, engage and inspire, delivering an expansive and stimulating series of events that can help lead us towards a creative, just and sustainable future.” The Festival's official dates are 11 April to 17 May, but many exhibition are on longer - see below. 

Keynote speaker: David Buckland

The University of Melbourne is the Principal Knowledge Partner of Climarte’s program and will host a keynote lecture by David Buckland of Cape Farewell who will "narrate 14 years of Cape Farewell’s ambition to place climate centre stage. Using the notion of expedition as a model to interrogate the future, Buckland will showcase some of the art produced by over 320 artists who have risen to the climate challenge; and visioned, through their creative endeavour, why we must engage in building transformative, dynamic and sustainable societies." This lecture is free, but you must register. 

ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE 2015 - Exhibitions

In Debt: Saving Seeds 

(C) Dave Jones

(C) Steven Rhall

Photographers Dave Jones and Steven Rhall (above) respond to the Australian Grains Genebank

24 April - 21 June

Grassy Woodlands

(C) Caroline Young
Until 27 July 2015

Both the above exhibitions are on at Centre For Contemporary Photography
404 George Street, Fitzroy

Fresh! 

(C) Chris Massey

Craft, 31 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
3 April – 30 May 2015
(Mixed media exhibition)

Nature/Revelation

(C) Ansel Adams The Tetons and theSnakeRiver Wyoming 1942

(C) Berndnaut Smilde, Nimbus D'Aspremont 2012

Ian Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne

800 Swanston Street, Parkville
Until 5 July
(Mixed media exhibition)

The Paper Canary, The Derwent Project, 

and the Hanging Garden 

(C) David Stephenson and Martin Walch 

MARS Gallery, 7 James Street, Windsor
30 April – 24 May

Earth Matters: Contemporary Photographers 

in the Landscape

(C) Chris Laing

(C) Les Walkling

(C) Peter Eastway

(C) Tony Hewitt


(C) Chris Thompson

Monash Gallery of Art
860 Ferntree Gully Rd, Wheelers Hill
Until 3 May 2015

Chris Jordan – Intolerable Beauty: 

Facing the Mirror of Mass Consumption 

(C) All image Chris Jordan

Sophie Gannon Gallery, 2 Albert Street, Richmond
28 April – 9 May 2015

Theatrum Orbis Terrarum

(C) Marjolijn Dijkman, Theatrum Orbis Terraru’, 2005-ongoing 

West Space
Level 1, 225 Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Until 9 May 2015

Discounting the Future

(C) David Buckland and Amy Balkin, Discounting the Future, Ice Texts Series, 2010

Melbourne School of Design, Dulux Gallery
Ground Level, Melbourne School of Design Building (133), Spencer Road,
The University of Melbourne
Until 10 May 2015

Rosemary Laing: Weathering

(C) All images Rosemary Laing

Heide Museum of Modern Art, 7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen
Until 31 May 2015

* These images are not part of the festival