"Waiting for San Francisco to Vanish"

The global sea level is going to rise at least four feet by the year 2100. Parts of coastal cities like San Francisco are going to be underwater when that time comes. This is uncontroversial in the scientific community, and there are detailed maps showing exactly where the land will be lost. We can go to those places right now and see what is going to disappear under the ocean and the bay. I am using future flood zone maps from the Pacific Institute in Oakland to make a photographic portrait of it all around the San Francisco waterfront. Their scientists are happy to work with me to keep my images tethered to the data. A sample map is at the end of my uploaded images. Take a look and think about what is within the pink zones. And that's just one of the maps. I am careful in the photographs to show surprising, little-known, even wondrous things about the city. I realize that this subject is scary, so I try to find ways to invite people in. This is some of the most recognizable real estate on the planet. I think showing it is a better way to talk about global warming. Pictures of polar bears and glaciers are too abstract and not close enough to home to make it feel real. I plan to make about seventy-five photographs that work together as a group, then exhibit and publish it. The shooting should take me about another year. I want to use my skills as a visual artist to address our most serious and immediate need.

Financé par San Francisco, CA (December 2019)