Much of New Orleans-based photographer Virginia Hanusik’s work over the past decade has focused on the architecture, infrastructure, and landscapes of southern Louisiana.
Stunning photographs of single-story homes on tall stilts, power lines stretching across Lake Pontchartrain, or a Plaquemines fruit stand juxtaposed with a distant refinery illustrate the ways South Louisianans have learned to live. in a region defined by its relationship with water, oil and gas. the industry and, increasingly, the climate crisis.
“Part of focusing so much on the architecture and infrastructure of this place is because those are the things I’m looking for to really symbolize how we’ve designed our way into this crisis and into living in this landscape,” Hanusik says.
Photographer Virginia Hanusik’s book ‘Into the Quiet and the Light’ reflects on water and life in southern Louisiana.
Photo provided by Virginia Hanusik.
His new book “Into the Quiet and the Light: Water, Life and Land Loss in South Louisiana” compiles many of his photographs taken since 2014. The photographs are combined with essays, pieces of poetry, a story or even a recipe from a presenter . of contributors, including delta guide Richie Blink, artist and activist Imani Jacqueline Brown, The Water Collaborative executive director Jessica Dandridge, historian Andy Horowitz and musician Louis Michot.
“There are so many people committed to making Louisiana not just exist, but a place where more communities can thrive and exist in greater harmony with our natural environment,” Hanusik says. “I’m grateful that so many people were able to write these articles because I think it shows that there are a lot of people doing good work, ranging from advocacy and political work to cultural preservation.”
Hanusik’s goal was to decenter and allow the people who have impacted his career and work to “frame the book in a way that really opens it up to interpretation,” he says.
“It could be hopeful. It could be really sad. It may be a mix of those things,” Hanusik says, “and that’s intentional because that’s how I feel…not just as a Louisiana resident but as someone living through the complex environmental crises we’re dealing with. “
Garden District Books will host a launch event at 6 pm on Tuesday, June 11 for “Into the Quiet and the Light,” published by Columbia Books on Architecture and the City.
Hanusik will moderate a panel discussion with Dandridge, chef Nini Nguyen, former United Houma Nation deputy director Mike “T. Mayheart” Dardar and author Nathaniel Rich. There will also be a launch party on June 20 at Courtyard Brewery.
Hanusik moved to New Orleans in 2014 after college. With a background in architecture and a fan of photographers such as William Eggleston and Bernd and Hilla Becher, her work naturally gravitated toward the environment and man-made landscapes of the area.
“You ask questions about the architecture itself and you get to… think about the social and economic aspects that influenced the structural components,” Hanusik explains of his fascination with these areas.
In southern Louisiana, water has uniquely informed the way people build and live. It affects how we eat, work, where and how we build our homes and our music. He even has a say in when we should run to be safe.
Likewise, the fossil fuel industry and the climate crisis have played a similar role in shaping not only the natural environment but also the way residents interact with it.
Hanusik opens “Into the Quiet and the Light” with a long essay examining how artistic representations of Louisiana have informed broader perceptions of the state, including the 1948 Academy Award-nominated “Louisiana Story,” which was supported of Standard Oil Company.
“It is one of many works that remind us that the representation of landscape is not neutral,” writes Hanusik. “It is an inherently subjective and affective medium: it connects and influences our relationships, associations and attitudes towards particular places.”
As a result, the book’s written pieces converse with Hanusik’s black and white photographs. Landscape architect Kate Orff writes about the long-lasting and unintended impacts of the levee system. Mike “T.” Mayheart” Dardar reflects on the Houma way of life and the threats posed by coastal erosion.
Nini Nguyen includes a recipe for chao tôm and writes about the Vietnamese influence in the region, and Louis Michot closes the book with a bittersweet lyric poem in French and Louisiana English.
“There are times when things are a little more cheerful and there are times where it almost reaches a place of despair,” Hanusik says. “But that’s the reality of just living here right now.”
The book launch event on June 11 is free to attend, but please RSVP through gardendistrictbookshop.com. Learn more about Hanusik at virginiahanusik.com.
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