Olaf Otto Becker
River 2, 07/2008, Position 4
2008

About the Item

Archival pigment print Signed and numbered on label, verso 24.8 x 29.5 inches (Edition of 5) 45.7 x 54.3 inches (Edition of 5) 58.7 x 70.9 inches (Edition of 2) This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Olaf Otto Becker writes: “[In this project] I show portraits of meltwater rivers that are increasingly appearing on the ice due to global warming. These were produced on two expeditions during which I traveled 450 km on foot in the melt zone of the Greenland Inland Ice with a companion. I accompanied and documented the work of climate researchers collecting data on climate changes and the layers of ice that are melting away on the Greenland Inland Ice with my large format camera. I was also able to visit the only place in Greenland where tourists can encounter the Inland Ice and find traces of climate change. This series depicts how nature reacts causally to climate change and how these developments are confronted by humans.” For more than 30 years, landscape photography has constituted the main topic of Olaf Otto Becker’s photographic work. He is especially interested in documenting the visible traces of human overpopulation left behind in nature. It is these traces that make clear how exactly humans treat the planet. After thorough research, Becker usually works for a couple of years on one specific subject. He then publishes his results in the form of a book. While single images are of great importance, it is sequences that tell his stories in depth. Becker regards himself as an artist as well as an eyewitness to the changes of our times. He writes: “I read the landscape and record what I find to be truly remarkable. Human overpopulation is causing resources like food, energy, raw materials, land, and water to become increasingly scarce. The earth we live on, though, only offers limited space for this growth. In the future, the international community will be forced to join together to solve these growing problems. Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go in working together globally. At the same time, the consequences of overpopulation are becoming visible ever more clearly and readily throughout the world. The signs that can be found in landscapes are what interest me. I try to produce photographs that act as poetic images and documentations of processes at the same time and are relevant to all of us.”

Creator:
Olaf Otto Becker (1959, German)
Creation Year:
2008
Dimensions:
Height: 24.8 in (63 cm)Width: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)
Medium:
Archival Pigment
Movement & Style:
Contemporary
Period:
2000-2009
Condition:
Gallery Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU93232993831
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