Jenni Bruce
Upper Brogo
New South Wales
Australia
January 2020
As global temperatures rise, this work is my response to the unprecedented increase in the extremity of wildfires around the world. Since 2018 I have travelled to California, Australia, Greece, Canada and Colorado to document the aftermath of fires that had destroyed homes, killed numerous people and burnt millions of acres of land. All these areas had experienced some of their highest temperatures ever recorded, precipitating these infernos. One of my subjects described fleeing from a “fire-breathing monster, spitting flames everywhere”.
I choose not to document the burning fires, but rather to seek out their aftermath, the traces left behind on lives and landscapes.
The Portraits in Ashes series is the central narrative thread in this body of work. Framed by the skeletons of their burnt homes my subjects pause and engage the camera with dignity and resilience, inviting us to engage with the devastated world that surrounds them. To create coherent images and tell this story effectively within such visual chaos, I have found that I need to compose the images with extreme precision.
In this repeated act of portraiture, I am trying to create a systematic typology of climate change.
John Banks
Hamblin Avenue
Greenville
Plumas County
California
USA
October 2021
Kathleen Fleming
Spring Drive
Spanish Hills
Boulder
Colorado
USA
March 2022
Carol Schaefer
Yowrie
New South Wales
Australia
March 2020
Rhonda Rossbach, Derek Briemand and Autumn Briemand
Killiney Beach
British Columbia
Canada
October 2021
David Wilson and Kyle Moser
Cobargo
New South Wales
January 2020
Sonja and Fritz Grutter
Kinder Avenue
Greenville
Plumas County
California
November 2021
Dawn and Patrick Fowler
Churn Creek Road
Redding
Shasta County
California
USA.
October 2018
George Bloukidis
Vateri Guest House
Limni
Evia Island
Greece
August 2021
Paul South
Mowhawk Circle
Sagamore
Superior
Colorado
USA
March 2022
The Montagner Family (Fina, Anthony, Christian and Dylan)
Upper Brogo,
New South Wales
Australia
January 2020
Jamie Robinson
Yowrie
New South Wales
Australia
March 2020
Zoe Pook
Cobargo
New South Wales
Australia
January 2020
Patto and Gino McDonald
Upper Brogo
New South Wales
Australia
January 2020
Georgia Hatjidiakou
Kioptari Village
Rhodes
Greece
August 2021
Anna Cunningham
The Way Station Bar
Main Street
Greenville
Plumas County
California
USA
November 2021
Pam Sweeney
Cobargo
New South Wales
Australia
January 2020
Gurjeet Dhanoa
Andrew Drive
Rock Creek
Superior
Colorado
USA
March 2022
Father Ioannis Siaflekis
Agion Taxiarchon Church
Kokinomilia Village
Evia Island
Greece
August 2021
Sheriff Todd Johns
Greenville Sheriff Department and Prison
Greenville
Plumas County
California
USA
October 2021
Danielle Guerra
Sierra Lodge Hotel
Crescent Street
Greenville
California
USA
October 2021
Eleni Alexandridi
Rovies village
Evia Island
Greece
August 2021
Areti Tsirozoglou and Kostas Marengelis
Forest Village Resort
Evia Island
Greece
August 2021
John Hamar
Church Street
Greenville
Plumas County
California
USA
November 2020
Kevin Goss
The Village Pharmacy
Main Street
Greenville
Plumas County
California
USA
October 2021
Terri Swanson
Sunflower Street
Harper Lake
Louisville
Colorado
USA
March 2022
Dennis ‘Butch’ Douglas
The Masonic Lodge building
Main Street
Greenville
Plumas County
California
November 2021
Amanda Reynolds
Conjola Park
New South Wales
Australia
February 2020
Mary Laoudikou
Kiotari Village
Rhodes
Greece
August 2023
Terry Murphy
Sunflower Street
Louisville
Colorado
USA
March 2022
The Kamata Family
Mowhawk Circle
Sagamore
Superior
Colorado
USA
March 2022
Elaine and Bill Drinkwater
Estamont Beach
British Columbia
Canada
October 2021
Alec and Heather Percival
Coolagolite
New South Wales
Australia
January 2020
Uncle Noel Butler and Trish Butler
Nuragunyu
New South Wales
Australia
February 2020
