Last week, my friend and former colleague Daniel Morchain contacted me about a presentation he was giving on the role of the arts in climate adaptation. Dan was speaking about work he is doing with IISD in Costa Rica and wanted to include one of my photos in his presentation (you can watch that here. It’s in Spanish).

I have deep respect for Dan and the work that he does. He has taught me a lot about the importance of living your personal truth in your professional life and connecting with people at a human level. I was flattered that he wanted to share one of my photos.

He asked me for a photo that speaks to the theme of transformation. I chose an image I shot this year at one of my favourite places, the Zandvlei estuary, which is near my house.

Thinking about how this photo relates to transformation got me thinking more broadly about how photography (and other types of art) can help foster a connection to place that helps us understand how the natural world changes as a result of different influences, including climate change. Going through this thought process was valuable for me, so I’m sharing some of what I wrote to Dan below.

This image speaks to transformation — both personal and environmental.

Last year, I made a short video about the estuary at Muizenberg beach near my house. The video explored my relationship with water and spoke to the value of observing the natural elements — their movement and changing characteristics. Paying attention in that way, I think, is a form of therapy. A way to reconnect to our environment and find stillness.

Interesting for me too is the idea of intersection. The estuary is a place where freshwater meets the ocean and a place where humans intersect with the natural world. Many elements come together and cross paths.

Observation and the connection to place

Since making the short film, I've spent a lot of time photographing the estuary. I walk there most days and observe it, from the bridge above or go down to the water's edge. By "getting to know it" I've come to realise how much it changes. Sometimes the water gushes into the sea; other times sand blocks the mouth and the water can't flow out. The sand also shifts a lot, cutting these powerful lines into the beach and changing the shape of the estuary mouth.

Through the art of photography I've come to know this place, but I also learn something new about it every time I'm there with my camera. I think this kind of deep observation is useful in the climate change adaptation context because it facilitates a human connection to place, and allows one to understand how the natural world changes as a result of different influences.

It's a type of paying attention that helps us to see what is happening around us over time, and can help us to see how the environment changes with climate impacts. It's like — if you're not looking you won't see it. Art can foster that type of relationship.

On one level, this place is transforming all the time. The sand shifts, the water flows at different rates, the mouth changes shape. At another level, observing and photographing has been transformative for me. It's made my photographic practice more mindful, and given me an appreciation of the nuances of this waterbody. I also just find it incredibly peaceful to be there — particularly so in 2020.

….

How do you see the role of arts in climate change efforts? Let me know in the comments.

….

If you’re a Spanish speaker and want to find out more about the Seminario Próxima temporada you can watch the video below.