When it comes to capturing idyllic Louisiana, photographers and artists have a lot to work with. Swamps, bayous, coast and sky feature prominently in depictions of the region, showing off a verdant landscape that many associate with good times, sportsmanship, working the land, and other aspects of Louisiana's vibrant culture.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, disaster-driven imagery also dominates visual representations of the state. Scenes of flooding, storm damage, and environmental hazards regularly surface after natural disasters, depicting a place in crisis. For residents, both versions of Louisiana are the truth — but they also know there's a more complex story to tell under the surface.
That's where New Orleans-based photographer Virginia Hanusik comes in. Her work is beautiful, capturing plays of light and undercurrents of drama where the built environment intersects with nature. Her landscapes also tell the story of a changing climate, where rising waters and a disappearing coast necessitates a shift in how people interact with the natural world.
When Hanusik came to Lafayette last week to promote her new book, "Into the Quiet and the Light," she said, "there's a certain kind of representation of Louisiana that's so often seen through the lens of disaster, and being on the front lines of climate change. There is also so much beauty here that I think because of the state's history of being extracted and exploited, doesn't necessarily make it to mass media consumption. So it's a place that, through my work, I'm trying to both talk about the inherent beauty that exists here, while also talking about the symptoms rather than the causes of the current environmental crisis we're in."
Hanusik grew up in the Hudson River Valley, a place renowned for natural beauty. In the nineteenth century, the Hudson River School of painters created a uniquely American ideal of scenic landscapes — pastoral and sun-drenched, with an ethereal quality. She says that growing up in upstate New York helped her recognize the diverse ways in which places are depicted in the arts and media, and Hanusik brought that influence with her when she moved to New Orleans and started capturing coastal Louisiana 10 years ago.
She also has a background in architecture, and says that design features prominently in her work.
"There's a lot of interesting architecture here, to say the least," says Hanusik. "I love looking at the different typologies around living on the water and with the water, that are really so unique to this place. It really speaks to the way that individuals have approached their attempts at engineering their way to still existing here."
In addition to Hanusik's photos, "Into the Quiet and the Light: Water, Life, and Land Loss in South Louisiana" includes 17 contributions from Louisiana artists, writers, chefs and musicians. Grammy-winning Cajun musician Louis Michot contributed a poem in French, with the line "let the rivers fill our cups, rebuilding our lands here in paradise." It speaks to a common thread Hanusik has uncovered through her work: the love that Louisianans feel for their state.
Louis Michot plays at a book signing event for photographer Virginia Hanusik at Wild Child Wine in Lafayette, La on June 28.
"I've spent a lot of time in the coastal parishes, down in Plaquemines and Terrebonne and Lafourche. And there's no denying that when you're talking to someone who's lived adjacent to a plot of land for generations, and now it's underwater, it's clear that the climate is changing, things are different," she says. "But regardless of your opinions on that, the common ground that I found with most people is such a deep love for the state, and wanting to preserve as much as we can. Preserving land, but also stories of that land. And that's kind of what is included in this book as well."