Reporting on the Business, Art and Culture of the Active Lifestyle
by James Edward Mills
Parks Paid Forward
Learn MoreMusic and art blend in a new collaboration project by singer songwriter and most recent JTP contributor John Common. In conjunction with the release of his latest album Beautiful Empty the Denver-based musician has invited photographers to illustrate the songs’ lyrics with images as compelling as the words.
The Beautiful Empty Photo Conspiracy calls for the creation of original pictures from across the country. Photojournalist Lucia De Giovanni curates the collection that will be on display at the Fox Theater in Boulder on June 12th. The event coincides with the release of the album by the indie band John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light. “I think artists of all types should collaborate more... this project is an excuse to do that,” Common said in an exchange via Facebook. “There aren't restrictions for participating -- you don't have to be a "professional" photographer to be in this project. Anyone can make art.”In the shadow of the Canyonlands of Eastern Utah, a site has been proposed for the state’s first nuclear power plant. Located outside the town of Green River, the plant would generate electricity for three million homes and provide a much need economic boost to the community. But the project would depend on huge amounts of water from the Green River itself, raising questions about its capacity to support this new development and other claims to its shrinking supply, not mention the impact on fish and other wildlife “Whether it be oil shale, coal gasification plants, nuclear power plants and so, quite frankly there’s not enough water to support all these things,” said John Weisheit, the conservation director of Living Rivers in Moab. “In a river system such as this, even a small incremental drop can strand endangered fish habitat.” In the edition of Assignment Earth we weigh the balance between energy generation and environmental protection.
A few days before his disappearance while on expedition in China, climber and filmmaker Jonny Copp wrote a poem he called Border Country. Rich with vivid imagery of a headlong journey into an uncertain future the lyric may well have foreshadowed the tragic avalanche that claimed his life and those of friends Micah Dash and Wade Johnson.
A new film of the same title produced by multi-media artist and fellow climber Jeremy Collins pays tribute to his fallen comrades in a style well suited to the way in which they lived their lives. Border Country draws upon the complete spectrum of audio/visual tools to excellent affect coupled with the skilled application of mountaineering technique. With Collins’ handcrafted illustrations and music by Brad Barr, Oriole Post and Rue Royale the film is a requiem that doesn’t memorialize so much as celebrate those who live to climb.
You must be logged in to post a comment.