From my ongoing study this semester of the history and influence of nature photography, I found many ways in which art has a substantial and direct impact on conservation. There are examples out there to support the assertion that, while art and science might speak two different languages, both describe the same ecological truth: everything is connected to everything else.
Art, especially nature photography, transports the viewer to the landscape in the image. In the case of photographers like Jim Brandenburg, we feel more connected to the land than we do distinct from it. Their work is "visual poetry that takes us on an inward journey as we comtemplate the paradox of a nature that is sometimes gentle and kind and sometimes bitter and raw" (Brandenburg, 2003, p. 4).
John Echave writes, "Most of us see but don't look. Some of us look but don't see. Jim Brandenburg is blessed with the gift of seeing and looking at the same time" (Brandenburg, 2003, p. 4). I think it is this ability that can bridge the grey area between science and art. Brandenburg takes aesthetically unique photographs that not only look beautiful but also tell a distinctive story of the land they capture. In his work, the boundary between science and art is blurred in a powerful way. Embracing this interdisciplinary view of the world has been an integral part of my journey here at St. Olaf College.
