Join Me at the Autry This Sunday to Celebrate EARTH DAY!

Unprecedented Bipartisan Coalition Discusses Effort to Protect Alaska’s Biggest Wild Salmon Fishery, Jobs and Native Culture

"The Allen River Enters Lake Chauekuktuli" Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum. For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Unprecedented Bipartisan Coalition Discusses Effort to Protect Alaska’s Biggest Wild Salmon Fishery, Jobs and Native Culture

Unique group in Washington, D.C. all week to call on White House and federal Environmental Protection Agency

With the future of the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery in danger from a proposed copper and gold mine, the broad, bipartisan Save Bristol Bay coalition – ranging from Alaska Natives to commercial fishermen, chefs, jewelers, sportsmen and more – have brought their fight to protect Bristol Bay, Alaska and its sustainable salmon to Washington, D.C.

The week-long Save Bristol Bay week in Washington, D.C. includes:

• Delivery of a letter to the EPA from 200 chefs and restaurant owners around the country
• Visits to congressional members
• Bristol Bay wild salmon served at more than 20 D.C.-area restaurants
• A Congressional Reception with honorary hosts Sen. Mark Begich (R-AK), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D- WA) and New York Times best-selling author Paul Greenberg.
• National telepress conference to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to protect Bristol Bay: Paul Greenberg, Journalist and Author of “Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food”; Peter Andrew, Alaska Native leader, commercial and subsistence fisherman; Bob Waldrop, commercial fishing group representative; Rick Halford, former Alaska State Senate President, sportsman and guide

For the full schedule of events and information, please visit SaveBristolBay.org

A delegation from the Bristol Bay coalition fighting offshore oil and gas development met with the Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar, on Tuesday in Washington, DC. The purpose of their visit was to thank the Secretary for removing the North Aleutian Basin from federal leasing plans until at least 2017 and to encourage the Administration to permanently protect Bristol Bay for future generations. Secretary Salazar appeared extremely pleased to meet the group and was very receptive to their message. As part of the meeting, the group presented one of Robert Glenn Ketchum's photographs of the Allen River.

The G2 Gallery Exhibit - Nature L.A.: Robert Glenn Ketchum

The G2 Gallery 

1503 Abbott Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291

~ presents ~ 

"Nature LA:  Robert Glenn Ketchum"

March 29, 2011 - April 24, 2011

From March 29th to April 24th, The G2 Gallery in Venice is going to exhibit some very interesting aspects of my work, a seldom-viewed embroidery, and 18-panels of a repeating leaf motif that is part of my new experimentation in the digital darkroom.

 

The multi-panel leaf motif pays homage to Andy Warhol's camouflage repeat.  The first complete part of this repeat was originally created as a 6-panel  screen with each panel measuring 6ft tall by 22in wide. When exhibited, it occupies a 6ft x 12ft wall space with over-the-top colored leaves larger than your hands. It is called, 'CHOOSE JOY'.

When the divisions between the panels are removed, the 'CHOOSE JOY' leaf repeat joins at the seam and numerous symmetries become apparent. Subsequent panels play with these symmetries in various ways while always remaining within the repeat of the background leaf motif. The next six panels of repeat, 'NAVIGATING THE DARK WOOD OF ERROR' emphasize hearts and butterflies while losing color and initiating the morphing of leaf groups within the repeat.  

'CONFUSED BY BUTTERFLIES', the third group of six panels, reintroduces color in the leaves, but continues the exploration of their morph. Butterflies are accentuated to an absurd degree, some appearing almost like painted graffiti, and the background color begins to shift. The now 18-panel leaf repeat is still recognizable, but transformed and shifting to a new color spectrum which will be addressed further in the next 6-panels, imagery I am now constructing.

I have NEVER had the opportunity to display all 18 of these panels in a continuous form, so I am grateful to G2 for giving me the space. Please come and see these vibrant new pieces derived from my vast library of landscape photography.   

In a rare public display, G2 will also offer the most beautiful embroidery of all that I have done, 'CAN'T SEE THE TREES FOR THE FOREST'. This is a 2-sided, 3-panel standing screen with some very unique hand-dyed areas of black - they appear, then disappear, depending on the light. You must see this actual embroidery to fully understand the magic of it. 'CAN'T SEE THE TREES FOR THE FOREST' is privately owned and has only been on public display once for my 45-year retrospective at the Amon Carter Museum in Texas. This is a unique opportunity to view an extraordinary embroidery that has had little public exposure. Don't miss this.

 

The G2 Gallery 

1503 Abbott Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291

~ presents ~ 

"Nature LA:  Robert Glenn Ketchum"

March 29, 2011 - April 24, 2011

The AIPAD Photography Show New York, March 17-20, 2011

It is infrequently that I have the opportunity to exhibit the silk embroideries and loom-weavings that I have been doing in China since the early 1980's because they are fragile and take much transportation and display care. Quite frankly, many curators also have not given them serious consideration yet, or even understand what I am doing, so they are often "excluded" from my photography exhibits. Therefore, I AM VERY EXCITED that my long-time friends and gallery representatives, Peter and Judy Wach, will be displaying several of my newest and most amazing pieces at The AIPAD Photography Show New York in the Park Avenue Armory from March 17-20, 2011. The Wach Gallery is booth #408.

AIPAD is the Association of International Photography Art Dealers, and this event will host more than 70 of the leading fine art galleries from around the world. This is a great opportunity to enjoy New York in the spring and to see an astounding variety of photographic imagery. Judge for yourself where the work I have been doing fits into all of this.

'Eagle's View of Winter Mountains' © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Peter and Judy have always been fans of my early black & white winter images and they will be displaying some of those original prints. It was also those images that were the first to appeal to the Chinese, so it is with great pleasure that we will display the most recent embroidery based on a winter image: "Eagle's View of Winter Mountains".

This 24'x 30', hand stitched, 2-sided, silk embroidery features some very subtle dye work done to the silk threads and a technique we use to represent diminishing distance, wherein the threads detailing the furthest point in the landscape are not full silk threads, but rather, have been sewn with 1/24 strands of unwound silk. The piece took 2-1/2 years to complete. The effect of the stitching in this image gives the appearance of Chinese brush-painting, so put on your glasses and step closer, because it is not!

'YK Delta From 1,500' ' © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

The tour-de-force of my AIPAD display is "YK Delta From 1,500", a 4-panel, double-sided, standing screen based on two aerial photographic images made flying over the Yukon-Kuskokwim river delta in Alaska. This loom-weaving was created on a loom with 3,000 lines of weft, the most complex in the world, and one the Chinese built JUST to render this image. The weaving employs select areas of hand-painting and hand-dye, as well as small clusters of gold thread (to represent the sun highlights off of the water), and the incorporation of peacock feathers to bring texture into an area of dry brush. All panels were woven simultaneously and they took 4-1/2 years to complete.

'Turn, Turn, Turn' Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

The Wachs will also be displaying on of my new digital pieces, "Turn, Turn, Turn", a 6-foot tall, 32-inch wide panel conceived as an embroidery design, yet also an extraordinarily beautiful photographic print. The edition of this photographic print is only 10 and there are just a few left, so enjoy this before it is gone. And yes, the Chinese are doing it as an embroidery of the same size. Called "Graceful Branch Movement" it will be the tallest freestanding piece they have ever created and perhaps we will have it in next year's AIPAD show. Come see these images while you have the chance.

The Wach Gallery; Booth #408

The AIPAD Photography Show New York

Park Avenue Armory at 67th Street

643 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065

Thursday, March 17, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Friday, March 18, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 19, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 20, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

RGK at The Woman's National Democratic Club, MONDAY, March 14, 2011

The Woman's National Democratic Club

If you're in the D.C. area come out to the Woman's National Democratic Club for a reception and lecture on Bristol Bay, Alaska.  I will show some stunning images of southwest Alaska and others will be on display as prints.

The Woman's National Democratic Club

Monday, March 14, 2011

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Reception

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Lecture

Washington, D.C.

Hope to see you there!

#rgk

#lbp

This is What Climate Change Looks Like, Unfortunately

Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

This is What Climate Change Looks Like, Unfortunately:  Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanos, by Robert Glenn Ketchum

We are still in one of the snowiest, wettest winters ever, which was proceeded by the hottest summer for much of the Earth.  NASA reports that the Earth's surface temperature has  increased steadily since the 1880's, and the last decade has recorded temperatures rising to "the highest levels ever recorded".  For insureres worldwide, it's been the most expensive worldwide, all weather-related.

Personally I view the National Academy of Science (NAS) as very cautious and relatively conservative about their public statements, so I was especially alarmed to read the article I posted May 20th from the LATimes regarding the NAS’s most recent warnings regarding the acceleration of effects from climate change.

Here is some other recent science of note: NASA announced that satellite monitoring indicates Antarctica is rising very slowly now that the weight of glacial ice is melting off of it. This is a geological phenomenon known as 'isostatic rebound' and it is common to small islands in the Arctic, it is just no human has ever experienced it at the scale of the entire south pole... the largest continent on the planet.

In fact, just this week NASA released findings from a NASA-funded satellite study, 'NASA Finds Polar Ice Adding More To Rising Seas', where they concluded that sea level is likely to be "significantly higher" than levels projected by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007

So, first question being asked: 1) How much ocean will be displaced, as that will affect inundation levels elsewhere in the world. Scientists have begun to research this. 2) The question not yet asked is, if the largest continent on the planet is moving around, and it is connected to all of the plates, don’t you think the plates would move as well. Correspondingly, if that were true, it would seem there would be a lot more big earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions occurring because of Antarctica’s “movement”.

If you were to 'Google' all earthquakes above 5.5, and all volcano eruptions in the last two decades, you will see a considerable upswing in both that begins to occur during the last 20-years, about the same time the ice began to unweight the continent.  I've been tracking the more significant ones here.

I am no scientist, I am just sayin’… this is interesting, and I think it is much bigger than we know….

Read the LATimes article, 'National Academy of Sciences Urges Strong Action to Cut Greenhouse Gasses'

Save Bristol Bay - No Pebble Mine!

"Save Bristol Bay - No Pebble mine!"

Lecture by Robert Glenn Ketchum 

Monday, March 14, 2011

Reception: 6:30 - 7:30; Lecture: 7:30 - 8:30

Woman's National Democratic Club 1526 New Hampshire Avenue NW,  Washington, DC 20036

For 45 years Robert Glenn Ketchum's imagery and books have helped define contemporary color photography while at the same time addressing critical environmental Issues. In 2010, American Photo magazine featured Robert Glenn Ketchum as the 5th in their series of American Master photographers including him with such luminaries as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Richard Avedon. Ketchum is a Founding Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Ketchum's distinctive prints are in numerous major museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), the National Museum of American Art (DC), Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and the Museum of Modern Art (NY), to name a few.

Ketchum's work in the Tongass rainforest of Alaska is one of his most visible successes and has been acknowledged as helping to pass the most significant timber reform legislation in American history. Ketchum has been working since 1998 to protect Bristol Bay, the most productive wild salmon fishery in North America. Bristol Bay and the habitat that supports it, is located in southwest Alaska. Recognizing his effort, Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar gave Ketchum the "Partners in Conservation Award" in 2010. The threat to Bristol Bay is proposed as the largest open-pit copper and cyanide gold-leachmine in the world. Called "The Pebble Mine", would be situated in the headwaters of the fishery, between two national parks, three national wildlife refuges, and four state designated parks.

#rgk 

#lbp

Jin Jiang Joy Announces New Artist, Jeanne Gadol

Scarf 'Tidepools', by Jeanne Gadol

I am very excited to welcome Jeanne Gadol as a designer to my fabric and accessory design company, Jin Jiang Joy. Jeanne and I have known each other for many years, so it is wonderful to be working with her as we explore the application of photographs derived from nature to fabrics.

Photographic Inspiration for 'Tidepools' Scarf, by Jeanne Gadol

Jeanne and I met during a trip to Alaska on which I was one of the lecturing guest photographers. I recognized immediately that she was already an accomplished photographer, but as we came to know each other better, I learned that she was also a graphic designer.

Scarf 'Birch Trees' by Jeanne Gadol

After that trip, we stayed in touch with each other and eventually I saw a good deal of her graphic design work which was impressive and incorporated her photographic images in substantially altered ways. In fact, I thought them so striking I recommended her work to PC PHOTO magazine, who published a portfolio of her images.

Scarf 'Birch Leaves' by Jeanne Gadol

Jeanne and her husband Steve (also an excellent photographer) have a lovely home at Sea Ranch in Mendocino, CA and for many years I also taught a photography workshop program in Mendocino at the Albion River Inn. To broaden the exposure of my students during these workshops, I asked Jeanne if she would come in and teach/speak about her use of photography in her graphic design, so for several years she was involved with me in that way.

Scarf 'Tide Pools' by Jeanne Gadol

When I founded Jin Jiang Joy, she was very excited by my ideas and struck off on her own to create a number of accessory products derived from her imagery. I love what she has done and wanted her to be part of my new company as a designer of her own signature line. So, Jeanne is now part of Jin Jiang Joy and these are some of her offerings. Note that her editions are VERY small, her prices quite reasonable, and her designs are fabulous.  This is just the beginning. Jin Jiang Joy looks forward to bringing you much more as we grow this business and broaden the application of our images to other accessories.

#rgk

#lbp

My Fav Places - The Boat Company

Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum. For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

The Tongass rainforest is one of the most beautiful places I have ever adventured. It is also one of the rarest rainforests in the world because it is not on the equator, but rather, almost within the Arctic Circle. Home to massive old growth trees, huge Grizzly bear, the largest eagle population on the planet, and a daily show of marine life that includes Orca, whale, seals, etc., the fiords and mountains of southeast Alaska / The Inside Passage are a must if you expect to "see" Alaska.

The lazy tourist tries to do all of this from a cruiseship and consequently misses most of the show. These boats can never "get into" the really great places where you can view this world at a personal level. But, if not a large cruise liner, then what? It IS a cool, and sometimes cold, rainforest which means rain on most days and a lot of rain on some days, and then there are the bears. The PERFECT solution is to cruise on smaller boats, and the best of those plying the waters of Southeast and the Tongass belong to The Boat Company.

Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum. For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Their flagships are small (20-26 persons), brilliant staffed, equipped to do everything, AND it would be hard to find this kind of comfort, even at onshore lodging. The Boat Company has converted older workboats to luxury vessels adorned with beautiful wood decks and details. With well-designed space, staterooms provide ample comfort (but most of the time you WANT to be outside so as not to miss anything) and that leaves room for generous common areas, kayaks, fishing gear, wet gear storage, and 19¹ aluminum skiffs for ship-shore transport, fishing and exploration.

Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum. For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

The fantail is an enclosed dining area where some of the best meals ever get served, often consisting of the days fresh catch of salmon or Dungeness crab, and the meals are prepared by gourmet chefs recruited from fine cooking schools. Evening camaraderie usually covers the days various adventures that may have taken different groups in differing directions, so everyone has something to say about their journey. We are all bonded by the astounding experiences. It also helps that if the hike was wet or the fishing day windy, we have all had a great hot shower before dinner and are now wearing dry clothes.

Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum. For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Daily trips might include kayaking a tidal area to investigate pools and shoreline, a hike in the woods to an elevated viewpoint for a breathtaking glimpse of the forested islands, or a round of fishing for whatever can be caught, salmon, halibut, char, Dolly Varden,Yum! Trips are designed for all levels of fitness and willingness. All trips include knowledgeable guides and naturalists who are constantly downloading information about the surroundings. The Boat Company has been one of the leadership groups in defending the Tongass from clearcut destruction and their staff specifically addresses the rich biodiversity of your trek or paddle. Walks in the old-growth forests are very revealing and quite out-of-this-world. You will not only feel transported to another time of giant vegetation, but you will actually learn about the old-growth forest and how important its continued survival is for all of us.

Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum. For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

I have been aboard The Boat Company's various boats numerous times with, and without my children (who love the trips and rate them as their BEST), and I am grateful to the owners of The Boat Company, the family members of The Mcintosh Foundation, for there unending commitment to protecting the Tongass. They supported my 1986 book, The Tongass: Alaska's Vanishing Rain Forest, helping me to distribute it in Congress, distributing another 30,000 copies on their own through their network, and also helping to put up the national traveling exhibit about the Tongass that was premiered at the National Museum of Natural History (DC) on Earth Day in 1994 (without the Alaskan delegation succeeding in taking it down, although they tried). And now, The Boat Company is supporting International League of Conservation Photographer's Fellow, Amy Gulick, and her new book about the Tongass:, 'Salmon In The Trees'.

Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum. For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

The Boat Company not only talks-the-talk, telling and showing you this remarkable place, they also walk-the-walk, placing their time and money into sustainable tourism alternatives in Southeast and direct action in Washington, DC. They walk-the-walk when they take you out into the Tongass as well, ...whether it is just watching glaciers calve into awesome vertical fiords from the safety of their Almar aluminum skiffs, or actually following "secret" bear trails in the woods to epic giant trees in the rain, you will always be grateful you did this and I doubt you will ever be uncomfortable because of the conditions. Having spent much time in this rainy world camping with kayaks, I can assure you that are less determined than I, but no less appreciative of such a magnificent world, that a Boat Company trip is an ultimate journey to very special and unique part of Alaska. Don't miss it and Welcome Aboard!

The G2 Gallery Exhibit - RAVE: a retrospective

   G2 Exhibit - RAVE: a retrospective

There's still time to see this amazing exhibit here in Los Angeles!

A collection of images from 10 of the first International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) RAVEs. The exhibition focuses on the iLCP initiative RAVE, Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition, in which teams of world-renowned photographers are deployed to environmentally threatened ecosystems to create a unique portfolio of images used to achieve conservation gains. ...ILCP’s mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography.

Exhibit:  January 4, 2011 – February 13, 2011

Reception:  Saturday, February 12, 2011, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

The G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbott Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291

Daniel Beltra 

Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia (Canada). September 8, 2010. .The expansion of Alberta's tar sands oil extraction will require the construction of a 2,000 mile pipeline across British Columbia and through the Great Bear Rainforest.
Photograph © 2011 Daniel Beltra.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Claudio Contreras-Koob 

Photograph © 2011 Claudio Contreras-Koob.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Photograph © 2011 Claudio Contreras-Koob.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Morgan Heim 

"Storm Drain", Waves of the Chesapeake Bay break against the opening of a storm drain that runs from the Ocean View beachfront directly into the bay in Norfolk, Virginia. This is but one of several massive storm drains that line the beach every few hundred yards. After a big storm, you can stand near the end of the drain at low tide, and see the water and garbage gushing out, said Chesapeake Bay Foundations Chris Moore.
Photograph © 2011 Morgan Heim.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Garth Lenz 

Photograph © 2011 Garth Lenz.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Photograph © 2011 Garth Lenz.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Tom Mangelsen 

RAVE Expedition with Patricio Robles Gil, Thomas D Mangelsen, Jack Dykinga, Florian Schultz, Fluvio Eccardi in the Biosphere Reserve El Triunfo of the Sierra Madre range of Chiapas, Mexico.
Photograph © 2011 Thomas D. Mangelsen.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Male Resplendent Quetzal perched outside its nest cavity in the cloud forest of El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve.
Photograph © 2011 Thomas D. Mangelsen.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Michael Ready 

The headwaters of the Flathead River are home to all four endemic fish species of the watershed. In this picture a conservation savvy local flytier releases his catch, a fifteen-inch adult west slope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi); ILCP RAVE; Flathead River Valley, British Columbia, Canada.
Photograph © 2011 Michael Ready.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

 

West slope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) swim effortlessly against a crystal clear current. The cutties of the upper Flathead River and its tributaries are thought to comprise the last genetically pure populations of this species. ILCP RAVE; Flathead River Valley, British Columbia, Canada.
Photograph © 2011 Michael Ready.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Joel Sartore

A captive, five-month-old mandrill in Malabo. Its mother was most likely killed by a hunter on Bioko. That's the usual way that young primates are collected.
Photograph © 2011 Joel Sartore.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Studio portraits of a kingfisher.
Photograph © 2011 Joel Sartore.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Florian Schulz

Photograph © 2011 Florian Schulz.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

As this rainforest cat is extremely shy, I needed to work with a special camera - trap setup in order to show this magnificent animal.
Photograph © 2011 Florian Schulz.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Roy Toft

Photograph © 2011 Roy Toft.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Photograph © 2011 Roy Toft.
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

 

Additional photographers featured in the G2 Gallery exhibit, however not pictured here:

Matthias Brieter 

Jack Dykinga
Tim Laman

Chris Linder 

Ian McAllister 

Paul Nicklen

Joe Riis 

Brian Skerry

 

#rgk
#lbp