Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later
After Hurricane Katrina, I walked or drove the entire course of the storm from Grande Isle, LA to Waveland, MS, and even the tip of the Everglades. In some of these areas, I have been back over the years to reshoot as the area recovers - or doesn't. I probably shot about 1000 sheets of 4x5, and I have some of the images on the WWW:
http://www.epr-art.com/galleries/x1-hk-churches/
http://www.epr-art.com/galleries/x2-hk-no/
http://www.epr-art.com/galleries/x3-hk-la/
http://www.epr-art.com/galleries/x3-hk-ms/
I have did this for art and I also did it because I do research on climate change and its impact on the Mississippi Delta. (http://sites.law.lsu.edu/coast/)
I am looking for suggestions for myself and others who shot the Katrina damage. Ten years is coming up, what should we do? I am thinking about building up my galleries and doing a blog. The blog would show post-storm and current images, and would also talk about reasons why the storm did so much damage, and why there is no stopping the loss of the lower Mississippi Delta and New Orleans over the next 100 years.
Re: Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later
This says book/traveling exhibit to me. I would love to see this exhibit in person.
Your work is really excellent artistic coverage of the aftermath of the storm. It's really something to look back and remember just how bad that storm was. I wasn't down there during the storm, but I have family in the Baton Rouge area and spent a good bit of my life in Mississippi as well, so I feel quite the connection to the area.
Karl
Re: Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later
friken amazing body of work my friend.
Re: Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later
I have to suggest 'then and now, 10 years later'. I know a lot of that stuff, particularly the lower 9th churches, is simply gone forever. Sure, the bridges and highways got rebuilt immediately... but the people who bore the brunt of the storm were never healed. Far as I know, because I haven't been there since '07, but it was clear in '07 that the lower 9th was not to be rebuilt.
I will never forget standing in one of the remaining houses, at midnight, staring through the hole in the roof at the stars. Closest I've ever come to having a religious experience. I was called a 'dumbass' for doing it, and lucky I didn't get shot, but I regret nothing. Sadly, my pics were 90% digital, and mostly lost to hard drive crashes since then. I didn't take up lf again until the year after.
Re: Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later
Wow! I am sure the disadvantaged will be left to their own devices. The recovery could take decades.
Re: Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later
a very very odd feeling viewing those
excellent photography of the disaster..artistic even
sort of like a artful photo of an execution it's almost too good to be enjoyed..or something
so of course I love it... anything that gives one an 'off' feeling is a winner for me
Re: Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later
I would urge you to try and find a wider audience. A blog is fine, but think bigger. Do you have a strong project statement? If not, write one. You have some strong and important work that various venues may be interested in—galleries, museums, etc. I assume there are historical museums in Baton rouge and New Orleans? I suggest sending this work to blogs that are connected with major publications, so these photos can be seen by a wider audience. The New Yorker, Mother Jones, and The New York Times come to mind as perhaps being interested. There are of course dedicated photo blogs and websites to consider. Don't sell yourself short...
Are you familiar with Richard Misrach & Kate Orff: Petrochemical America? Your interests in climate change and photography could work together perfectly to make a powerful statement..
Re: Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later
That's powerful work, Ed. I'll second mr. Wasserman's (and Mr. Gittings') comments.
Re: Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later
> Your interests in climate change and photography could work together perfectly to make a powerful statement.
That is what I would like. The problem I am having is that the major media outlets want to tell the human story of rebuilding, and not the scientific story of why rebuilding is just climate change denial. The fashionable story is that the bad Corps of Engineers let New Orleans drown. Thus we are now fine because we have new levees. Anything that questions the wisdom of believing in the levee mythology in the face of the Mississippi delta cycle and climate change is a direct threat to the property bubble in NO and the endless stream of other people's money pumping up the economy.
Re: Hurricane Katrina - 10 years later