Artist statement:
At the Intersection of Art, Environment & Spirituality
As an artist, I have always been fascinated with the natural world – images of a mountain range, a grove of trees, even a dwelling silhouetted against the night sky. In particular, I am drawn to the contemplative and sublime nature of these subjects, especially during low light conditions that accentuate the contrasts between light and dark. In order to capture these moments on canvas, I combine intense dark areas with subtle areas of color, revealing a gradual transition towards light. My paintings are typically a distillation of a landscape’s essential elements and forms set in low light conditions. While there is certainly beauty in detail, my paintings aim to focus on the larger relationship between the subject and the surrounding atmosphere. In this way, I hope the viewer is able to reflect on the calming and healing influence of our natural environment. I recently had the privilege of participating in the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, Morocco, where representatives from over 150 countries bore witness to the dramatic changes occurring to our world, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels. At a time when our planet is facing the gravest of environmental challenges, I hope my art can serve as a reminder of nature’s inherent beauty and of our spiritual connection to it.
Peter A. Gish – January 2017
About Jeff Goodell:
Jeff Goodell is working on a book about the impact of sea level rise on Miami, as well as other cities around the world, to be published by Little, Brown. He is currently a Contributing Editor at Rolling Stone and the author of five books, including How to Cool the Planet: Geoengineering and the Audacious Quest to Fix Earth’s Climate, which won the 2011 Grantham Prize Award of Special Merit. Goodell’s previous books include Sunnyvale, a memoir about growing up in Silicon Valley, which was a New York Times Notable Book, and Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America’s Energy Future.
About The Climate Group:
The Climate Group is an award-winning, international non-profit. We specialize in bold, catalytic and highimpact climate and energy initiatives with the world’s leading businesses and state and regional governments. Our work is at the forefront of ambitious climate action. Our vision is a world of prosperous ‘net-zero’ emission economies and thriving, sustainable societies. Our mission is to catalyze climate leadership in government and business to accelerate the shift to a prosperous and thriving ‘net-zero’ future for all. We do this by communicating to inform, convening to connect, and collaborating to scale and succeed. Founded in 2004, our offices are located in Beijing, Hong Kong, New Delhi, New York and London.