Anthropocene – human traces We were here… In this work I am addressing the imprint that humanity is leaving on planet Earth.
Through combustion of fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal, etc), herding and agriculture, mining, water diversion, species extinction, deforestation, etc. humans have had a considerable and negative impact on this planet in a relatively short slice of its existence. Inspired by the photographic work of Anna Mendieta and the colorful paintings of surrealist artists such as Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo, I have combined the two genres to create images that are both realistic and imaginative. Each image combines a representation of one of Earth’s natural elements or one of man’s destructions with a slightly abstracted human silhouette representing the human impact on the earth’s natural condition. The human poses vary expressing fear, dominance, sadness, distress, and helplessness and guilt. I am asking the viewer to acknowledge our impact on this planet in the hope that we will consider how we can be less damaging to our home. There is nowhere else to go.
About Athena Carey
Athena Carey is a multi award winning fine art travel photographer specializing in long exposure and black and white photography. She is widely recognized for her ability to capture the emotional essence of place and time within her images.
Her career in photography began as a portrait photographer, where her greatest goal was always to create images that express a sense of each client’s personality – a sparkle of their inner self, seen through the window of a two-dimensional image. But her love of the world and of nature lured her outside into the exciting and rewarding world of travel photography, where her goal remains virtually the same, to capture the essence and emotion of each place in the precious moments she has in each one.
Aside from travel, another of Athena’s great joys is teaching others the technical aspects of photography, how to find their own artistic vision; and then to harness the two together to express themselves through their photography. To this end, she teaches photo courses online and locally and offers workshops globally.
Athena’s work is published in various books, magazines, and websites and has been printed and hung around the world in private homes and businesses. Travelling extensively in search of new experiences, she has lived on four continents and currently resides in England. Her keen appreciation for the natural beauty of our planet drives her excitement about each next and new destination. [Official Website]
