Abstract

Among Cypress and Sawgrass is a photographic series that explores the region I have come to call home, the Florida Everglades. This series explores the vast diversity of species and the ecosystem as a whole, but also speaks to the threats it has faced and continues to face that could devastate it forever. The series brings attention to the importance of this ecosystem, vocalizing support for its preservation, something we often depict in a phrase regarding the entire state; “Keep Florida Wild”. The series brings together photographs of the natural world and photographs of the ways humankind has influenced and altered this landscape. An image of a wood stork sits idly in the rain as a neighboring image depicts the burning of a sugar cane field. An alligator floating peacefully in the reflected clouds on the water's surface is placed next to a chair abandoned in the wetlands, with its owners nowhere to be found. Photographs such as these are placed on top of a life sized mural of a cypress dome, immersing the viewer into the Everglades and creating an experience of being within this wetland biome, while also showing the disruptions and threats this ecosystem faces.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Landscape photography--Florida--Everglades; Environmental degradation in art; Everglades (Fla.)--Pictorial works

Publication Date

4-25-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Photography and Related Media (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

Photographic Arts and Sciences, School of

College

College of Art and Design

Advisor

Joshua Thorson

Advisor/Committee Member

Juan Orrantia

Advisor/Committee Member

Gregory Halpen

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

IMGART-MFA

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