艺术与保护，与保罗-尼克伦的对话

当我们第一次听说著名摄影师保罗-尼克伦的 Soho 艺术画廊时，我们就知道这是一个值得关注的地方。他的每件精美绝伦的展品都涉及环境保护的紧迫问题--从濒临灭绝的栖息地到脆弱的海岸线和濒危的海洋生物。我们采访了保罗，讨论了他最近的展览 "消失的世界"（Vanishing Worlds），这是他与克里斯-伯卡德（Chris Burkard）合作的作品，聚焦于罕见的北极生态系统和冰岛正在消失的洪泛平原。

1. 请谈谈《消失的世界》背后的灵感。它是如何诞生的？

From the beginning, the gallery was meant to be a communal space for photographers who believe in conservation. Chris and I have admired each other’s work for a long time, and when the chance came to share my gallery with like-minded photographers, Chris’ name rose to the top of the list pretty quickly. The fact that he can speak to an audience that know him better for his surfing and travel photography is a great bonus. We want the gallery to be a tool to better educate the world about the issues our world faces. Chris’ photos in this exhibit do a great job of that.  

2. 这次展览以北极和冰岛为重点，有什么特别的原因吗？

There was no conscious decision to pick any particular location, at least not for me. I know Chris has a love affair with Iceland so he probably just wanted to showcase a place he loves and wants protected. In the end, that’s what we all want. For some, it’s their own backyard they want to keep pristine. For people like Chris and I, who travel the world constantly, the backyard grows a little bigger. And that’s a good thing. We should strive to protect everywhere. Not just the places that affect us personally.  

3. 您的其他展览也涉及脆弱的生态系统和气候变化对我们世界的影响。是什么促使您从这一角度出发开设一家艺术馆？

在我职业生涯的不同阶段，我用我的作品取悦了不同的受众。从早期的地区性杂志，到《国家地理杂志》，到我的 Instagram 账户，再到《海洋传奇》；这些渠道让我有机会与不同阶层的人交流。当然，他们大多以热爱地球和地球之美为共同的主线，但随着我事业的发展，受众也在不断变化。当有机会在世界上最伟大的城市之一的中心地带开设一家以保护为主题的美术馆时，我知道这是一个与全新受众交流的机会。纽约是一个宏大的城市熔炉，汇聚了世界上极具影响力的各界人士。另外，老实说，为艺术家创作的艺术作品已经够多了。我希望我的作品能代表比我更伟大的东西。画廊帮助我实现了这一点。

保罗-尼克伦的 "Majesty Surfacing

4.您认为艺术和摄影在提高人们对气候变化和自然资源状况的认识方面能发挥什么作用？

艺术可以随心所欲，对创作者和观赏者都是如此。我不是傻瓜。我知道有些人只是想在墙上挂一幅北极熊的精美图片。但是，从我在 Instagram 账户上看到的评论，或者从我与海洋遗产组织（SeaLegacy）的合作中看到的评论，我知道我的照片正在带来改变。有时是很小的改变，比如激励一个孩子在课堂上大声谈论气候变化。有时，它意味着促使整个海洋保护区的建立。艺术--尤其是摄影--激发情感，情感激发个人行动。而这正是改变世界的唯一方式--个人行动。   

5.在你看来，人们今天可以采取什么行动来产生影响？

作为个人，我们能做的就是减少消费，多做志愿者。在合适的时候购买二手货。骑自行车。捡起海滩或公园里的垃圾，并注意这些垃圾的成分。停止使用塑料吸管和塑料袋。告诉你喜欢的餐馆也不要使用吸管。我想每个人都知道自己每天能做什么。挑战在于是否有足够的爱心去坚持。阅读书籍。学习。学以致用。同时，保持希望。保持积极乐观。世界上有很多消极的东西，它会滋生冷漠。我们需要关心，才能改变。  

6.您在画廊的下一步计划是什么？

Pushing the boundaries for how our gallery can function as both an institution for fine art as well as environmental activism. We’re working on bringing as many forward-thinking organizations and individuals to the gallery to see how we can best push for a change in how we see and treat the environment. We want to remind New Yorkers, and our other visitors from all around the world, of their place on the planet and of how closely tied we are to these beautifully intricate systems and stunning locations. And we have more artists coming to help do that, such as the extremely talented Vincent Munier. There is a lot to look forward to, but even more left to be done, and I hope that getting these images out to the world will convince new people every day that the world is worth saving, and that saving has to happen now.

消失的世界》将在保罗-尼克伦画廊（纽约西百老汇 347 号）展出至 10 月中旬。大部分收益将用于 "海洋遗产 "项目。

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