Jeff Kauck

Cumberland: Island of Conflict and Change

September 4 - November 5, 2015

The inspiration for these photographs arose in December 2013, on my first visit to Cumberland Island. From that time I became immersed in this extraordinary body of land with its rare convergence of ecosystems: subtropical maritime forests, inland freshwater lakes, salt marshes, and white sand beaches.

Despite its isolation and natural beauty, the island is not pristine or unchanging. It morphs daily with a 9-foot tide and is completely vulnerable to destruction by hurricanes and other natural processes that constantly transform its landscape and character. Thousands of years of human activity and conflict mark the island as well: from habitation by native peoples; to military invasions by European and Union troops; to current, heated disputes over the future of the island among environmentalists, remaining land owners, and US National Park Service.

The objects and landscapes seen together in this exhibit represent both my passion for still life work and my visual interpretation of the island’s eerie sense that…something is watching. And, the prints, hung from framing bars of reclaimed wood, invite you to experience the images as though you are walking the island firsthand.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: Based in Chicago, Jeff Kauck has built a thirty-eight year commercial career in still life and food photography. A James Beard Award nominee for photography, his advertising and editorial work has been included in numerous ads, magazines, cookbooks and in food packaging. He attended workshops with notable photographers Ansel Adams and Arnold Newman and has been interviewed in Forbes, Popular Photography and Photo District News. His recent personal project about Cumberland Island is a departure from his client-based work. https://www.jeffkauckphotography.com/