John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
The Cantor Arts Center in Stanford University is hosting "Second Nature: Photography in the Age of the Anthropocene," a major photo exhibition examining the contemporary era through the lens of the Anthropocene. This term, coined more than two decades ago, refers to the significant global climate impact of human activities, marking a new geological epoch that has permeated various disciplinary boundaries, including sociology and philosophy.
Veronica Roberts, the John and Jill Freidenrich Director of the Cantor, expressed confidence in the exhibition's potential to energize interdisciplinary dialogues and inspire sustainable actions. "Broad in scope and ambitious in vision, Second Nature brings together a global cohort of artists whose diverse practices contribute invaluable depth and nuance to our understanding of the world we share,” she said. Roberts noted the timing of the exhibition parallels the third academic year since Stanford's Doerr School of Sustainability's founding.
Running until August 3, the exhibition features 44 artists from around the world, showcasing a diversity of photography-based practices that explore environmental, social, and political changes. The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections and includes works produced since 2000, spanning digital, analog, mixed media, abstract, and conceptual art. It aims to expand the dialogue around the Anthropocene beyond climate change to encompass political, economic, and ecological aspects.
Maggie Dethloff, assistant curator of photography and new media at the Cantor, remarked on the exhibition's significant impact at Stanford. "It’s been an incredible opportunity to bring this exhibition to Stanford and to recontextualize these global issues within our local and regional histories," she stated, emphasizing the synergy between science, technology, art, and humanities.
The exhibition, co-curated by Jessica May and Marshall N. Price, is a collaborative effort between the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Following its Stanford debut, "Second Nature" will tour the Anchorage Museum in Alaska and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Missouri.
In addition to the exhibition, a companion catalog edited by May and Price includes essays promoting multifaceted approaches to understanding the Anthropocene. On April 24, artist Todd Gray will give a lecture related to his work in the exhibition.
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