Author Archives: catorihuela

The world is experiencing a great deal of death and uncertainty with the spread of the coronavirus. And yet, from sharing music, reminding ourselves to laugh, celebrating frontline workers, and getting closer with family, friends, neighbors and loved ones, we’ve never been closer together.

“On average, September sea ice has declined by more than 13 percent per decade over the past 40 years since satellite records began. This is a decline of around 85,000 square km per year — equivalent to losing an area of sea ice each year greater than the size of Scotland.”

In making this change, my new image is meant to serve as a commentary on climate change and people’s long-term response to such natural disasters. People affected by forest and brush fires (especially those residing in Southern California) are very aware of the threat that these fires pose. But after the initial outbreak of the blaze, within a few weeks or sometimes even a few days, many just return to their normal routine. I wanted to play on this idea of normalcy and blissful ignorance in relation to climate change by using an image from the 1960s — a time when keeping up appearances and cultural uniformity were highly valued in postwar America.