What do you think?
Rate this book
Earthforms: Intimate Portraits of Our Planet
“Earthforms: Intimate Portraits of Our Planet” is a boldly original book, both in its aesthetic-scientific-political concept, and in the way it extends what we all feel we know about landscape photography. “Earthforms” is not just another book with beautiful images. It goes far beyond the standard landscape concept, to turn an aesthetic eye on mineral configurations, putting you in remote places, where these special formations are close up and underfoot.
In a time when climate change threatens the livability of our planet, Simpson seeks to direct the aesthetic force of his image collection towards deepening our commitment to environmental awareness and activism, with a specific dedication to the Lakota Water Protectors’ courageous 2016 confrontation of the corporate and state powers that laid an oil pipeline that threatened the local water source.
"Simpson flirts with chaos repeatedly, complicating the easy sensual analogies and undercutting the all-too-familiar 'surprises' of high-end nature photography.”—LYLE REXER, author; critic, curator; columnist for PHOTOGRAPH magazine.
“Simpson has an eye for naturally occurring patterns and structures, and he presents vivid mineral deposits and eye-catching rock formations. He compares a particularly notable formation to Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream, and it’s hard to deny the resemblance. The captions are informative and will help geological novices understand how the shapes developed. They also offer references to the works of other artists, and their placement in the book’s final pages effectively allows readers to process the images separately. Although the environmentalist message is strong in the opening essays, Simpson’s later commentary emphasizes natural beauty without reiterating the threat that it faces, letting readers draw the connection themselves.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS
In a time when climate change threatens the livability of our planet, Simpson seeks to direct the aesthetic force of his image collection towards deepening our commitment to environmental awareness and activism, with a specific dedication to the Lakota Water Protectors’ courageous 2016 confrontation of the corporate and state powers that laid an oil pipeline that threatened the local water source.
"Simpson flirts with chaos repeatedly, complicating the easy sensual analogies and undercutting the all-too-familiar 'surprises' of high-end nature photography.”—LYLE REXER, author; critic, curator; columnist for PHOTOGRAPH magazine.
“Simpson has an eye for naturally occurring patterns and structures, and he presents vivid mineral deposits and eye-catching rock formations. He compares a particularly notable formation to Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream, and it’s hard to deny the resemblance. The captions are informative and will help geological novices understand how the shapes developed. They also offer references to the works of other artists, and their placement in the book’s final pages effectively allows readers to process the images separately. Although the environmentalist message is strong in the opening essays, Simpson’s later commentary emphasizes natural beauty without reiterating the threat that it faces, letting readers draw the connection themselves.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS
190 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 10, 2019
5 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 25, 2019
I was totally and utterly blown away by these absolutely stunning photographs! As a society, we get so caught up in every day things that we forget to stop and look around us. The colors, textures, shapes and overall beauty was captured in such an amazing way that shows how talented the author/photographer really is. He was able to get the very best shots! I've never been out of the Pacific Northwest and have always wanted to travel. But life happens and that isn't in the cards for me, however, with that being said, I felt like it was easy to get lost int he images. It's easy to imagine yourself there among the lush greenery, warm canyons, and beautiful water. I have to say my favorite of all the pictures was the Cliffs of Moher! Just the serenity of it all took my breath away. Not only does the book inspire creativity and serenity, but its an education of sorts. We have the unbelievable treasures right outside our communities and across the world if we take the time to find them. Not only that but it's a reminder that we need to do our best to clear our own footprints on the environment to preserve it for future generations. I found the dedication at the beginning to be eye-opening as well as heartfelt for the Lakota people and their struggles to find preservation for the environment. Beautifully done and a book I'll be coming back to over and over!
March 23, 2019
Watch the YouTube video.
November 11, 2019
Stunningly beautiful
Each page evoked another turn and I was continually blown away wanting to see more and more. The information on each photo along with the name were helpful in realizing the author's views. I love seeing the world from different perspectives! Amazing..just amazing!
Each page evoked another turn and I was continually blown away wanting to see more and more. The information on each photo along with the name were helpful in realizing the author's views. I love seeing the world from different perspectives! Amazing..just amazing!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews