| Finis Dunaway Natural Visions Info |
Finis Dunaway Natural VisionsIn his book "Natural Visions", Finis Dunaway, an assistant professor of history, is telling the story of how visual imagery - like wilderness photographs, New Deal documentary films, and Sierra Club coffee-table books - formed modern perceptions of the natural world. By analyzing the relationship between the camera and environmental politics through detailed studies of key artists and activists, Finis Dunaway captures the emotional and spiritual meaning that became associated with the American landscape. All the way through his book, he reveals how photographers and filmmakers adapted longstanding traditions in American culture - the Puritan jeremiad, the romantic sublime, and the frontier myth - to literally picture nature as a place of grace for the individual and the nation. During the twentieth century, photographers and filmmakers created unforgettable images of Yosemite National Park, The Grand Canyon, Walden Pond and other American natural treasures. Many of these images, including the work of Ansel Adams, continue to occupy a prominent place in the American imagination. Making these representations, though, was more than a purely aesthetic project. In fact, portraying majestic scenes and threatened places galvanized concern for the environment and its protection. Natural Visions presents through images the history of environmental reform from the Progressive era to the first Earth Day celebration in 1970, showing the crucial role the camera played in the development of the conservation movement. Beautifully illustrated with photographs by Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, and many other artists, The book Natural Visions will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in American cultural history, the visual arts, and environmentalism. Top of this Finis Dunaway Natural Visions page.
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