Have you ever thought about how your bacon, almond milk, or fish ends up on your table? In our globalized economy, fresh fruit can be shipped from one hemisphere to another to stock grocery store shelves regardless of the season, and many of us enjoy nearly endless choices of cereals, vegetables, meats, and snacks. But a striking number of young children don’t realize that processed foods like chicken nuggets and cheese don’t come from plants. How does a hot dog come to be? Where does our food come from?

Photographer George Steinmetz offers a remarkable look at landscapes, initiatives, and customs that shape how the world eats. His new book, Feed the Planet, chronicles a decade spent documenting food production in more than three dozen countries on six continents, including 24 U.S. states.

More than 40 percent of our planet’s surface has been molded and tended to produce crops and livestock. From idiosyncratic 16th-century farm plots in rural Poland to Texas cattle feed lots to a large-scale shrimp processing operation in India, food production is rarely observed on this scale. “He takes us places that most of us never see, although our very lives depend on them,” says a statement for the book.

Studies have shown that large-scale agriculture and factory farming send greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in an amount constituting nearly one-third of all human-caused emissions. The ongoing climate crisis can be traced in large part to fertilizers that release nitrous oxide; deforestation caused by farm expansion that adds more carbon dioxide into the air; and emissions from manure management, burning, fuel use, and more.

From a striking aerial vantage point, Steinmetz captures the beauty, ingenuity, and stark reality of factories, aquaculture, family farms, food pantries, and sprawling agricultural operations. He elucidates how staples like wheat, rice, vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish reach both domestic and international tables, tapping into “one of humanity’s deepest needs, greatest pleasures, and most pressing challenges.”

Purchase a signed copy on the photographer’s website, or grab one on Bookshop.

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Home to more than 40,000 plant species, 1,300 kinds of birds, and millions of insects, the Amazon is a vital and increasingly threatened part of our global ecosystem. By highlighting the incredible diversity and beauty of nature and wildlife around the planet, Vital Impacts (previously) raises funds for the preservation of the rainforest through its annual print sale.

This year, in addition to the fundraiser featuring work by more than 80 photographers, the program has launched the “Saving the Monarchs” campaign, showcasing the work of award-winning National Geographic photographer Jaime Rojo. “With the Monarch butterfly population declining by 90 percent in recent decades, efforts are underway to protect their habitats and ensure their survival,” says a statement from Vital Impacts.

Rojo has spent two decades photographing the magnificent insects, tracing their annual migration across the length and breadth of North America. Wintering in Mexico—or California for those west of the Rocky Mountains—the iconic butterflies return north in the summertime, where they typically lay a single egg on a milkweed plant.

Depending on the temperature, the egg cycle lasts for three to five days, after which a small larva emerges. As it grows, it sheds its skin a number of times, developing recognizable black, white, and yellow stripes. Then, once full grown, the larva spins a silk mat, stabs a stem into the mat to hang from, and encapsulates itself inside a pupa. After around eight to fifteen days, the adult Monarch emerges with bright orange and black wings.

During the summer, Monarchs live between two and five weeks, but if they hatch later in the year, they complete an incredible journey south, where they overwinter in clusters on trees in warmer climates. These adults will then live just long enough to hatch new eggs so future generations can return to the northernmost breeding grounds.

Monarch populations have declined in recent decades due to myriad factors, from the destruction of milkweed—the only plant on which they lay eggs—and overwintering habitats to temperature changes and drought due to the ongoing climate crisis. Initiatives like Monarch Watch, which this fundraiser benefits, emphasize conservation, track colonies’ movements, and promote education.

Many prints in this year’s sale start at $100, with options for different sizes and striking limited editions. Sixty percent of profits are earmarked to support Monarch conservation through Monarch Watch and FOCEN.

The remaining 40 percent of proceeds further the efforts of “the storytellers who are committed to shining a light on these critical issues and driving positive change in our world” via donations to COICA, an international program dedicated to the support of 511 Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon Basin.

See more of Rojo’s work on his website, and purchase prints in this year’s sale, which continues through January 31.

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Where do jets go when they no longer fly? What happens to shipping containers when they aren’t useful anymore for cargo? The answer is invisible to most of us, but for Cássio Vasconcellos, abandoned trains, planes, and automobiles are far from forgotten.

For more than four decades, the São Paolo-based artist has been fascinated by the relationship between humans and the landscape. Over the years, his work has captured dramatic impressions of sprawling cities around the globe, often from the air, spurring an ongoing series called Collectives that condenses details of urban infrastructure like highways and parking lots into sprawling, all-over compositions.

Collectives 2, to which these images belong, focuses solely on the mesmerizing—and mind-boggling—quantity of scrapped vehicles and metal indefinitely parked in nondescript places. Vasconcellos draws from tens of thousands of aerial photographs he has made of junkyards, scrap heaps, airplane graveyards, and dumps to create remarkable, large-scale composite images.

The artist has mapped all of the junkyards around São Paolo, plus numerous more near the Brazilian cities of Cubatão, Santos, and Rio de Janeiro. He has also documented desert landscapes in the U.S. that serve as final resting places for commercial airliners and military jets.

“Over,” for example, considers numerous associated meanings, like “overview,” “all-over,” “overdose,” or “game over.” The title references not only excess but the overflow of visual information in contemporary society.

“Seeing an image like this is to make clear that there is no ‘throw away,'” Vasconcellos says in a video about “OVER,” which took him about a year and three months to complete. “This volume of things that are in the work… they are out there,” he adds. “I just put them together.”

“These photos may look like post-apocalyptic scenarios, but they could be our future,” the artist says in a statement. “We still have to learn that by throwing things away and taking them out of our sight, we don’t make them
disappear. In fact, they keep existing somewhere else, outliving us most
of the time.”

Vasconcellos cuts out individual shipping containers, trucks, dumpsters, and piles of detritus in a meticulous and time-consuming digital process. He never repeats an element in a composition, and each piece is scaled and situated so that the shadows align with the directionality of the light. He then adds dust and dirt to the surfaces, simultaneously emphasizing the patina of time and an eerie sense of timelessness.

Devoid of people, Vasconcellos’s images nevertheless describe the human predilection to produce, consume, and cast aside. “It’s kind of nonsense, because there are some paths, but you don’t really understand how a person or a car can get in there—or get out,” Vasconcellos says. “It is a possible world, but at the same time, an absurd one.”

Vasconcellos is represented by Nara Roesler Gallery, and you can explore more of his work on his website and Instagram.

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From crunched, single-use containers to thrifted boxes and repurposed clocks, Stéphanie Kilgast (previously) devises unique habitats for a wide range of creatures. Fungi takes root along the sides of a green bottle as a beetle crawls over the cap in “Weevil Wander,” for example, and a violet owl alights on the top of a pair of binoculars.

Kilgast’s solo exhibition, LUSCIOUS LEGACY at Arch Enemy Arts, continues the artist’s interest in highlighting the human impact on the environment and the increasingly grim consequences of the climate crisis. Rather than focusing on the darker reality, she adopts an optimistic view of nature’s resilience.

“My work touches very contrasting emotions: the joy of color and natural beauty but also the sadness and despair of where we are headed,” Kilgast says. She hopes to aid us in questioning mass consumerism and its resulting trash, which continues to threaten delicate ecosystems worldwide, and adds, “The world is beautiful. It is worth fighting for.”

LUSCIOUS LEGACY runs through October 27 in Philadelphia. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

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From thousands of plastic bags, nets, and hanks of yarn, Indonesian artist Mulyana (previously) illuminates the fragility of marine ecosystems.

In his solo exhibition Remembering Our Collective Future at Sapar Contemporary, the artist has incorporated recyclable materials and distilled the palette to white, evoking a symbol of purity and drawing attention to the consequences of human impact on our oceans, such as coral bleaching.

Curated by John Silvis, the show invites viewers to reflect on the effects of the climate crisis and the critical importance of environmental preservation. Photographs by Ign Raditya Bramantya highlight a living, breathing embodiment of coral as it traverses the city streets, bringing the ocean to daily life.

Mulyana painstakingly twists, knots, and wraps plastic netting, cable wire, and plastic yarn into sculptures and wall hangings resembling coral and cartoonish sea creatures.

Running concurrently at the Charles B. Wang Center at SUNY Stony Brook, an exhibition of the artist’s vibrant yarn works showcases costumes and characters inspired by marine life. Yarnscapes: Mulyana’s Environmental Tapestries presents a playful counterpoint to the monochrome pieces, nevertheless urging us to remember and evaluate our relationship to our oceans.

Remembering Our Collective Future runs from October 22 to November 20 in New York City, coinciding with Yarnscapes in Stony Brook through December 10. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

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At 36 Boundary Street in London, a bold new mural rises 15 feet above the street. Anchored by scales atop a small seedling, the public artwork by Shepard Fairey addresses environmental justice and our responsibility to care for the planet.

“I believe that our individual and collective actions will dramatically impact current and future generations, be it for the better or for the worse. It is our responsibility as the citizens of Earth to protect it,” the artist said.

A series of workshops with young Londoners inspired the bright, graphic motif. The group was interested in expanding access to green space and reducing air pollution, and given the recent convening of the United Nations General Assembly focusing on international cooperation, connection between countries and cultures was top of mind.

The project was produced by Charlotte Pyatt, Simon Butler, and Migrate Art, which has raised more than £2.1 million in the last decade through creative projects in refugee camps in France and Northern Iraq, with the Indigenous Xingu people in the Amazon, and in collaboration with U.K.-based charities feeding London’s unhoused population.

Find more from the artist on his website.

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Around the world, rising temperatures and ecosystem imbalances due to the climate crisis have spurred an increasing number of wildfires annually. Brazil, for example, has seen more than 180,000 hot spots this year as of mid-September, the most since 2010. As deforestation reduces rainfall, a catastrophic cycle of drought and wildfires has only strengthened.

For Eduardo Kobra, the unprecedented number of uncontrolled blazes spurred a new series of artworks drawing attention to this troubling reality. As fires impacted rural and urban areas alike, including the city of Araçariguama—a little more than 30 miles from São Paulo—the artist chose a local area scorched by flames to document a collection of temporary interventions.

Drawing attention to the wildlife and habitats being destroyed, Kobra portrays birds, monkeys, anteaters, and other creatures surrounded by burned forest. In one piece, a firefighter assists a baby jaguar, and in another—a sign of hope—a child waters a sprouting plant.

Kobra is known for his large-scale murals on buildings around the world, which emphasize vibrant portraits and nods to pop culture through characteristically bright, geometric patterns. Using biodegradable materials, his new series of cutout panels uses a relatively smaller scale to address an enormously critical issue.

See more on his website and Instagram.

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Passengers on two Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) railcars look a little different these days. After routinely traversing the city for years, the retired vessels embarked on a new journey to promote sustainability and house marine wildlife. 

Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources teamed up with MARTA for the project, developing a plan to repurpose the decommissioned railcars in an environmentally responsible way. After ensuring the commuter cars were free of harmful materials such as wires, oil, and grease, they were transported to Georgia’s coastline and released into Artificial Reel L, which is already home to several other defunct structures promoting marine life, such as tugboats, barges, and battle tanks.

Since their deployment in December of last year, a variety or barnacles, corals, and sponges have already begun to establish themselves onto the railcar. As marine biologist Cameron Brinton explains, the reef will “become more and more productive as time goes on.”

For occasional updates on the project, visit MARTA‘s Instagram.

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“There are many ways to tell a story or to document and share research and discoveries,” says artist Ellie Hannon, one of 54 artists who have embarked on a unique residency organized by the Schmidt Ocean Institute (previously). From slip-cast porcelain and painting to 3D printing and virtual reality, the storytelling possibilities are endless in the Artist-at-Sea program, which invites artists to work alongside scientists on weeks-long expeditions into some of the least-explored areas of our oceans.

Conceived by the organization’s co-founder and president Wendy Schmidt and launched in 2015, the residency was fueled by suggestions from some of the crew onboard its first vessel, Falkor—named after the beloved luck dragon in The NeverEnding Story. “The idea behind the program was to provide an avenue for artists to experience the scientific process at sea and experience first-hand new ocean ecosystems,” says Dr. Carlie Wiener, the institute’s director of communications.

Aboard the research vessel Falkor (too), one artist is provided with a berth—an alotted space—on each expedition, exploring a wide range of biological and geological phenomena. From volcanic activity to coral reefs to glacial interactions, researchers often document new species, map uncharted terrain, and examine the implications of the climate crisis seen in receding ice sheets and rising sea levels.

Designers Shan Hua and Pei-Win Jin joined a six-day journey in August 2023 dedicated to studying the dynamics of sinking microplastics. The residency was an opportunity to experiment with new technology, while observing how tests were carried out and learning about the physical characteristics of the ocean. Hua says, “It was my first time collaborating with scientists, and it was incredibly memorable to observe their sampling processes over an extended period.”

For her work on Falkor (too), Hua was deeply moved by the reality of vast quantities of plastics in our oceans and the capacity for the material to last an incredibly long time without breaking down, unlike organic material. A single-use plastic bottle can take hundreds of years to disintegrate. But in the ocean, the most worrisome culprits are the tiny particles that can starve and suffocate marine life, while also possibly hindering the ocean’s ability to act as a carbon sink.

“Something as simple as laundering synthetic fabrics can introduce microplastic fibers into the environment,” says a statement about the last August’s expedition. Hua looked further into the longevity of microplastics and its effects on life, landing on the theme of marine fossils. She worked with an onboard 3D printer, along with VR technology, to create what she calls “future fossils”—relics portending what might happen if we don’t act now to prevent further pollution.

For the artists aboard Falkor (too), working alongside scientists fosters a deeper appreciation for the enormity of our oceans and the life they contain. Costa Rica-based Carlos Hiller, who specializes in underwater landscape painting, was constantly awed by the sights and discoveries during the nearly three-week “Octopus Odyssey” expedition around the west coast of his home island.

Hiller expected to have long periods to paint, and he imagined that the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that scanned the sea floor would be slow and monotonous. But there wasn’t a dull moment: “Every few meters on the sedimentary floor, a new creature appeared, and the rock formations revealed underwater landscapes that evoked vivid descriptions of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” he says.

The human relationship to the sea struck a chord with Hiller, who was intrigued by parallel yet disparate experiences. “I was fascinated by placing myself imaginarily at a certain distance from the ROV to observe the scene from two angles: that of the observed and that of the observer,” he says. “I became an invisible witness to the encounter between technology—our underwater eyes—and organisms or landscapes that had never seen the light before.”

Hiller created 13 paintings onboard the vessel, and the experience inspired a further series of paintings, murals, and small, mobile sculptures informed by the deep environment. “Often, we imagine the sea as a vast, undulating surface, an infinite mirror,” he says. “We venture only a few meters underwater, and beyond that, in our minds, there is only darkness, emptiness, and mystery.” He is thrilled by the apprehension of so much more.

Hannon also took advantage of the ROV’s capabilities during a 2021 residency focused on paintings and a slip-cast porcelain installation. She collaborated with researcher Ian Parnum and ROV technician Jason Rodriguez as the team explored Ashmore Reef Marine Park, a sanctuary for birds, turtles, and many other marine species off Australia’s northwest coast.

Using digital imaging—and the ROV’s robot arms—to capture the visual characteristics of a sea sponge, Hannon was able to digitally stitch together a 3D image, which was then printed into a slip-cast mold. The process reinvigorated an aspect of her practice she had previously put to the side. She also produced a series of five vibrant paintings illustrating a wide range of creatures inhabiting the reef.

Wowed by the clarity of the ROV’s film footage and the work of its operators, Hannon disembarked with a lasting impression of inventiveness and creativity demonstrated by the entire team. “A moment that stuck out for me relating to this was, when a part of the ROV broke, the team used the 3D printer to replicate this part, as they noted: you can’t just run down to the tool shop when you are 400 kilometers from land.”

Interacting with researchers from around the world provides artists the opportunity to reimagine scientific inquiry as a range of art forms and share discoveries and technologies through an approachable medium. Schmidt Ocean Institute then adds one piece from each artist to its collection, exhibiting the work globally in a continued effort to advance knowledge about the marine world.

“One of the most surprising things that has come out of the program is not just how the science has influenced the artist but how the art has influenced the science,” Dr. Wiener says. “Many of our Artist-at-Sea participants have developed long-term relationships with scientists that come aboard and continue to work together on projects after their time in the residency.”

Another recent expedition invited Max Hooper Schneider onboard, and Jill Pelto is working on the current trip off the coast of Chile, which concludes on September 23. Learn more about the Artist-at-Sea program and take a deep dive into each expedition on the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s website.

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For David Cass, the sea offers an endless source of wonder at its depths, history, bounty, and sometimes ferocity. Based between the Scottish Borders and Athens, the artist (previously) has long been fascinated by the power of water, especially its increasing vulnerability to the effects of the climate crisis.

On found objects like tins and matchboxes to book pages and antique pulleys, Cass repeats motifs of waves and distant marine horizons in oil and gouache. In Light on Water, his current solo exhibition at The Scottish Gallery, the artist continues to address the warming and rapid rising of ocean levels around the world through paintings that hover between abstraction and representation.

While creating much of the work for the show at his studio in Greece, Cass considered the landscape outside—its islands and peninsulas encompassed by water. He observed how the rippling surface can transform its appearance moment by moment due to the weather or time of day. Although “a threat rests behind this mesmeric picture,” he says in a statement. “In this exhibition, light also represents heat.”

Cass draws attention to estimates that 91 percent of Earth’s excess heat energy trapped in the climate system is stored by our oceans. As the planet continues to warm, this storage capability disappears, threatening all manner of life.

The artist calls on a time before we were aware of climate change in a series of oil paintings titled 500 Years, which subtly nod to Old Masters like Flemish marine artist Andries van Eertvelt. Cass evokes an era preceding the Industrial Age, simultaneously visualizing the dawn of greenhouse gases and a world forever changed in the name of progress.

Light on Water continues through September 28 in Edinburgh. Find more on Cass’s website and Instagram.

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