"displaying a charming pink hue, yet conveying an underlying sense of impending mortality": Anastasia Samoylova discusses capturing Florida's climate dread.
Artiste Samoylova, whose works are currently displayed at both the Met Museum in New York and the Saatchi Gallery in London, has earned critical acclaim for her unsettling, tension-inducing images of Florida's decaying pastel-pink panoramas. Her 2019 series "Flood Zone" - a reference to the bureaucratic term that can sometimes decide life or death - is a surreal account of a region deteriorating in real-time.
Abstract landscapes of cracked, bubblegum-hued concrete, flooded pools, uprooted palm trees, and displaced alligators present a fresh, disquieting depiction of climate change's effects. Samoylova's art deviates from the common visual story of malnourished polar bears and scorching wildfires found in environmental discourse. "Everything is intertwined," she stated. "Consequently, isolating climate change as something detached and abstract is dangerous as we're living through this transformation now. Each political decision influences us day-to-day."
Samoylova relocated to Florida in 2016, struck by the state's frequent natural disasters and aging infrastructure. She swiftly began documenting her new surroundings. Almost eight years later, "Flood Zone" resonates more profoundly in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm that claimed more than a dozen lives and left over 2.6 million Floridians without power. Milton was the third hurricane to hit the state in 2024. Yet, Samoylova refrains from labeling herself an environmental photographer. "I dislike labels," she said. "Living in Miami, I see the choice of medium as an obligation to reflect our time. Why photograph otherwise?"
Samoylova follows an understated, blink-and-miss-it approach to her observational photography. Years of capturing political extremism, gentrification, and environmental decline have led her to ponder how to transmit catastrophic messages relatably. "How do you communicate such intricate topics without making them off-putting?" she questioned. "The trickiest part is to make them engaging without turning them off." Whether tourists swim by for the vibrant sidewalks of Miami or linger for feelings of existential angst, Samoylova likens it to adding sugar to medicine to make it more palatable. "These themes are stigmatized and divisive," she said, "especially in Florida. And who knows, perhaps they'll be erased from discussion again."
Beyond serving as a historical record, Samoylova's artwork also possesses a gloomy poetic essence and welcomes creative interpretations. The artist enjoys lurking in her gallery installations, observing how visitors engage with her photographs. "It's the best feeling," she said. "Leaving the work open enough for people to discuss and understand it on their own terms without imposing a didactic narrative."
One remarkable image, titled "Gator" (2017), features an alligator suspended above the viewer in murky, caustic green water. Though she took the photo at a nature reserve, the true context of the gator's surroundings remains unclear. Is it swimming through a flooded street or lurking beneath a flooded pool? "It's an allegory," Samoylova explained. "Because they end up in people's pools like that," she said, adding that it's remarkable how swiftly reports of alligator attacks occur. "But these beasts have been here forever. We're the ones encroaching on their habitat, not them."
Samoylova detects a "Ballardian" element in "Gator," particularly in relation to the British author J. G. Ballard's dystopian 1962 novel "The Drowned World," which depicts a water-consumed Earth. "The gator is hovering above you, and you're already at the bottom of that reservoir," she said. "This is what it feels like in Florida. Even today, it's 29 degrees (Celsius) (84 degrees Fahrenheit). This is November."
The series as a whole - along with Samoylova's perspective - is intended to convey hope rather than despair. "I remain, not really an optimist, but hopeful," she told CNN.
Her forthcoming project, titled "Transformations," focuses on capturing climate solutions already in action. From solar panels and green roofing to urban gardens and corporate initiatives, "Transformations" emphasizes the importance of positive change. "We need a bit of hope," she said.
Samoylova's artistic style, as seen in her series "Flood Zone," often incorporates a surreal and symbolic approach to depict the effects of climate change, using elements such as cracked concrete and alligators out of their natural habitat. In her upcoming project, "Transformations," she plans to shift her focus to showcasing climate solutions in action, demonstrating her commitment to highlighting both the challenges and potential solutions in the art of environmental consciousness.
