Anastasia Samoylova: FloodZone

by Anastasia Samoylova (Photographer)

FloodZone is Miami-based Russian photographer Anastasia Samoylova’s (born 1984) account of life on the knife-edge of the Southern United in Florida, where sea levels are rising and hurricanes threaten. But this book is not a visualization of disaster or catastrophe. These beautifully subtle and often unsettling images capture the mood of waiting, of knowing the climate is changing, of living with it. The color palette is lush greens, azure blues, pastel pinks. But the mood is pensive and melancholy. As new luxury high-rises soar, their foundations are in water. Crumbling walls carry images of tourist paradise. Manatees appear in odd places, sensitive to environmental change. Water is everywhere and water is the problem. Mixing lyric documentary, gently staged photos and epic aerial vistas, FloodZone crosses boundaries to express the deep contradictions of the place. The carefully paced sequence of photographs, arranged as interlocking chapters, make no they simply show.

136 pages, Hardcover

Published January 21, 2020

Reviews

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally saw photographs from this featured in an exhibit at my local museum and was so struck by the images I decided to look the artist up. To my delight, I found this book: Floodzone, a "photographic account of life on the climatic knife-edge of the southern United States."

Sea levels are rising and hurricanes threaten. Subtle and often unsettling images capture the mood of waiting, knowing the climate is changing, but living with it.

I ordered it immediately and enjoyed it immensely. If you live in Florida, there's a good chance there's an exhibit of this in a museum near you. I recommend going to check it out if you can! If not, this book is a beautiful (addition or) substitute.