New Art Captures the Frail Beauty of Regions Affected by Wildfires

Photography by Tuck Fauntleroy

“I like to think of the winter season as a time for the land itself to rest. Zero human activity, the silence of falling snow in one of the most remote places on earth is enchanting and reflective.”

-Tuck Fauntleroy

An exhibit at Gilman Contemporary in Ketchum, Idaho features new work by photographer Tuck Fauntleroy. This collection, entitled Burn, is composed of a series of photographs of wildfire-affected regions in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Fauntleroy uses a varied perspective with some images shot aerially and others shot from the ground.

His photographs are a masterful combination of positive and negative space. Their relevance is particularly captivating and relevant in our current environment of climate change and the recent devastation produced by wildfires across the western United States and around the globe. The stark, disorienting appearance of Fauntleroy’s landscapes serves as an intentional warning of the destruction and the associated costs of climate events. Aerial photographs are taken from the open window of a small-engine Cessna aircraft flying over remote terrain. Fauntleroy communicates with the pilot via headset to direct the flight path, angle, and elevation to give him an opportunity to capture the perfect shot.

The artist’s vision conveys his deeply purposeful photography of landscapes completely devoid of human interruption. Noting the transitional progressions in these remote locations, Fauntleroy conveys a profound desire to chase and seize the ephemeral qualities of time and season. Each image transports the viewer into a hushed, surreal space that seems at once familiar and alien. The large photographs haunt the viewer with an abstract, minimalist vision of scale and perspective. Hypnotic in their simplicity, the photographs draw the viewer in as they search for meaning in the composition.

Fauntleroy grew up in a small waterfront town on Maryland’s eastern shore where the Chesapeake Bay is an omnipresent life force. After graduating from Bucknell University, Fauntleroy moved west to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where he lives and works. His fine arts photography is inspired by the aesthetics of nature and the conundrum of humanity.

In addition to his personal photography practice, Fauntleroy has established himself as a gifted architecture and interior design photographer. His photographs have been published in The New York Times, Dwell, Conde Nast Traveler and Town & Country.