At the Century City opening of the new Annenberg Space for Photography exhibit, LIFE: A Journey Through Time, Dutch-born National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting revealed that he wanted to deliberately avoid the loaded word “nature” for the urban Angeleno.
As a world-renowned nature photographer, Lanting must also be an expert in presentation; the mission of the multi-year LIFE project has been to transcend the way humans think about and approach nature.
“Because if you ask people whether they consider themselves part of nature, they say, ‘Nature is where I go on the weekends,’” he said.
But if you reframe the question to ask, “Do you consider yourself part of life,” there’s only one answer possible, he said.
“We feel that in this day and age, we really need a new vision of nature, one that is more inclusive that includes humanity past, present, and future. So, we built a project around that concept.”
On view now until to March 20, 2016, LIFE: A Journey Through Time complies a roving exhibit of more than 70 images with texts and stories about the works as well as an innovative timeline of life on this planet. The Space for Photography contains images of Earth’s vast and epic history, from crabs to jellyfish, diatoms to vast geological formations, jungles to flowers, and monkeys to human embryos.
Complete with a guided tour from Lanting himself, the opening of LIFE also underscored the Annenberg Space for Photography’s commitment to the environment.
“Through Frans’ amazing life journey, he’s invited the visitors to deepen their understanding of Earth’s natural history while instilling a sense of wonder about this planet,” said Cinny Kennard, executive director of the Annenberg Foundation.
Kennard said the exhibit is a perfect fit for the foundation because of their dedication to sustainability, animal welfare, and social justice through the Annenberg Tree House and the Wallis-Annenberg Pet Space, and grantees such as Heal the Bay, the National Resource Defense Council, the Catalina Island Conservancy, and the Ocean Alliance.
The exhibition is also punctuated by a selection of objects, some pre-historic, from the Natural History Museum.
Similar to his TASCHEN book, Lanting’s exhibit is organized in sections, beginning with “Elements,” to interpret Earth’s early history and show interactions among the five classical elements: earth, air, fire, water and space; “Beginnings” traces life from single-celled origins into more complex forms in the sea; “Out of the Sea” evokes the time when life first ventured ashore; “On Land” covers the period when plants and animals colonized solid ground; “Into the Air” highlights the evolutionary innovations of birds and flowering plants, ending with the cataclysmic events that caused the demise of the dinosaurs; “Out of the Dark” portrays the rise of mammals; and the concluding chapter, “Planet of Life,” envisions the collective force of life as a sixth element shaping our planet.
An outdoor component of the exhibit, “Future of Life,” portrays present day challenges to global biodiversity caused by the impact of humans on the planet in an era many scientists now call the Anthropocene.
The Space for Photography’s Director of Talent and Content Patricia Lanza, who began her career at the National Geographic Society, said the Annenberg Space for Photography jumped at the opportunity to exhibit the famous LIFE collection for its first Southern California presentation.
“We worked with Frans on the selection of over 70 print images to display with the exhibition’s thematic sections as well as the creation of four new videos that merge the natural with the cultural,” she said. “The exhibition also features an original short documentary commissioned by the Annenberg Space for Photography.”
A signature focal point found in the iris of the Space for Photography, the original documentary film is produced by award-winning director Steven Kochones and Arclight Productions. The 25-minute feature takes viewers on a journey through time via the remarkable images and story of Lanting’s LIFE Project, while recounting Lanting’s own evolution from wildlife photographer to visual chronicler of life on Earth. The film will include interviews with Lanting in his Santa Cruz studio; natural history writer, editor, videographer and longtime Lanting partner and collaborator Christine Eckstrom; horseshoe crab expert Dr. Carl Shuster; Harvard University evolutionary biologist Dr. Andrew Knoll; National Geographic Senior Photo Editor Elizabeth Krist; Ecological Research & Development Group President Glenn Gauvry; Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) geologist Dr. Abigail Allwood; JPL Mars Program Office Chief Scientist Dr. Richard Zurek; pioneering sociobiologist Dr. Edward O. Wilson; UC Santa Cruz Institute of Marine Sciences Director Dr. Gary Griggs; and renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Russell Mittermeier.
What’s more, the Annenberg has kicked off their LIFE-related programming at Skylight Studios with photography workshops, film screenings, and the Annenberg Space for Photography’s signature programming, the Iris Nights lecture series that delve into the natural world, from plants and animals to the solar system.
With the Iris Nights lecture series inspired by LIFE: A Journey Through Time, guests and live stream viewers can hear from world-renowned photographers about photographing a range of wildlife on land and under the sea; as well as shooting on location in remote Canadian landscapes, the wetlands of the Florida Everglades and here in the Santa Monica Mountains. Lecturers will discuss ways to merge photography and conservation in the U.S. and abroad. 2016 Iris Nights highlights include a January 7 event with National Geographic Fellow Joel Sartore; exhibition photographer Frans Lanting’s talk “Eye to Eye with LIFE” on February 11 and Vice President and Director of the Annenberg Foundation Charles Annenberg Weingarten’s presentation “explore.org, Never Stop Learning” on February 25.
Also present at the opening was Lanting’s longtime collaborator and life partner Christine Eckstrom, a writer, editor, producer, and works on joint books of nature photography.
“Chris was a staff writer at National Geographic when I first met her,” Lanting said. “And the two of us have been collaborating in work ever since.”
Together for more than 25 years, the couple lives in Santa Cruz where Lanting operates a studio and gallery, as well as a stock photography services.
“Chris has adapted herself like we all do in the creative profession form focusing on the written word to also embracing video,” he said. “And between the two of us, we cover quite a few media because in this day and age, you can’t just rest on your original skill set. You have to embrace all kinds of new ways to express what interests you in the world and how you will share it with people.”
Lanting and Eckstrom work in many different parts of the world including Amazonia, Africa, and Antarctica. The photographer’s images are regularly published in National Geographic, where he served as photographer-in-residence. He is also featured in Outdoor Photographer, Audubon Magazine, Audubon, and Life. A 2005 exhibit in the Field Museum of Natural History entitled ”Jungles” focused on the plants and animals of the rainforest.
“We’re really pleased to bring LIFE at long last to Southern California,” Lanting said.
The Annenberg Space for photography is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm and located at 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City. Skylight Studios is located at 10050 Constellation Boulevard in Century City. Admission is free.
For more information and to make reservations, call 213.403.3000 or visit annenbergphotospace.org/events.
