Rachelle Evanoff, Artist
Artist's Project Statement
Sperry Glacier Project, 2009
Rachelle Evanoff
The photographic images in this body of work consist of natural scenes and manmade features along the seven mile roundtrip span of the Sperry Trail from the remote and historic Sperry Chalet to Sperry Glacier in Glacier National Park, Montana.
Sperry Glacier is a product of the recent Little Ice Age, which took place between 1500 and 1850. It occupies a cirque on the northwest slope of Gunsight Mountain on the Pacific side of the Continental Divide at an approximate elevation of 7500 feet.
Sperry Glacier has retreated 75% since the mid 1800s and even though it is one of the largest glaciers in Glacier National Park, it is one that scientists are keeping a careful eye on for evidence of global climate change. They predict this glacier, as well as all glaciers in Glacier National Park will be gone by the year 2030.
I am interested in expressing the beauty of this landscape by use of formal composition. Through a variety of images, ranging from wide angle landscapes, to close ups for melting snow and ice, I aim to leave a mark in the memory of the viewer, and hope to make an impact by achieving a higher public awareness of global climate change.