It seems to be a very obvious "apocalyptic" choice to display some current New Orleans inspired artwork, but my friend's art opening this past Saturday had me very excited about just how apocalyptic our city truly is. Annie's fascination with cephalopods and her hometown inspired her art, but what I saw in her work was the ultimate end of New Orleans. Every day I see some article or poster pushing us to "save our coast," but perhaps these posters should use some of Annie's images to really press their point. Although a dramatic representation, the greatest threat to this city's survival is the lurking waters that surround it on all sides. This Saturday I imagined I was glimpsing at a possibility (one I surely hope would never come true), the unknown future of a city which lives more than any other city I've ever known with a feeling and knowledge of what it would be like for everything we know to be gone tomorrow.
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ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that a critical question here is: "save our coast" *for whom*? For humans? Is it 'our' coast, and on what grounds? How does thinking apocalyptically de-center the human subject, or posit the human subject as *the* center of the world/universe? I like how this post is a regionally-sensitive observation about a looming, ever present sense of apocalypse.
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ReplyDeleteWhile the coast is eroding I can't help but think about the poor choice of location for the city of New Orleans. Economically, it seemed like a great idea to establish a city at the mouth of the river for trade, but at the same time, weren't settlers aware that the land in which the city currently lays, was below sea level? This image of one of the most prominent places in New Orleans(not only known for sports fan, but around the country as a shelter for evacuees) submerged under water, reminds of the City of Atlantis.
ReplyDeleteWhile historians argue over the existence of the city of Atlantis, I can only help but wonder what will happen to the City of New Orleans. Is it possible that we too may become a lost "civilization" 1000 years from now? After all, there is speculation that the City of Atlantis was destroyed by a great natural disaster.
As for the actual image, I felt myself revisiting that moment sitting at the hotel watching chaos unfold, as the waters began to rise. While it remained "apocalyptic" as Megan stated, there was also a soothing and calm feeling associated with it, as I realized how much I had come to terms with what really happened on that late August day.
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, and when it did residents demanded the right to come home and other people were moved enough by the tragedy to send any relief possible. There were others, however, that voiced disapproval. Some stated that since the city was originally a swamp that it was best for Mother Nature to reclaim the city it has fostered and that its residents should simply move elsewhere and take the name with them. What is particularly troubling about the critics is their willingness to abandon one of its own.
ReplyDeleteThe city of New Orleans is a port town that was built on a then swamp: this is fact. New York, London, Amsterdam, Japan, the entire state of California, Miami, etc, etc. all of these locations has something in common: they are all rather unsafe to live in. If New York is hit by a category three hurricane it would be devastated, if Japan experienced a voracious tsunami, if California experienced an earthquake, the list is endless on what particular dangers each location has. New Orleans ONLY has hurricanes. Levees can be built to stop flooding. Coastal development can be improved, which could result in a grand amount of land to protect the state of Louisiana. Houses can be built strong enough so that they can withstand harsh winds and could be built high enough to avoid flood waters. In addition, when a hurricane is about to destroy an area that area usually has at least a three day warning to evacuate its residents. Critics of New Orleans pose that the city is beyond being saved when in fact it is quite the opposite. In comparison to other potential natural disasters New Orleans can be saved following these measures listed earlier. It is simply for people to take action and put these measures in place.