This distinctive exhibition celebrates two of our country’s most spectacular—but lesser known—parklands, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. From the rugged grandeur of backcountry peaks to the stillness of ancient Sequoia groves, Jones’s large-scale and beautifully detailed panoramic photographs capture the range of landscapes found in California’s southern Sierra Nevada. Sequoia and Kings Canyon contain the largest continuous wilderness area in California and the second largest in the lower 48 states. The parks’ intact watershed boasts major rivers that flow through breathtaking canyons, one of which is equal in depth to the Grand Canyon. With an extraordinary continuum of ecosystems ranging from the Sierra foothills to Mount Whitney—highest peak in the contiguous United States—Sequoia and Kings Canyon have been honored as a Biosphere Reserve. Sadly, Sequoia and Kings Canyon also have the “distinction” of being among the five most polluted parks in the country (Code Red: America’s Five Most Polluted National Parks, National Parks Conservation Association). Jones’s exhibition, which is sponsored by and also a benefit for the Sierra Club's Santa Barbara Group, includes not only stunning images of the park’s natural treasures, but also an environmental education component. This component, written by author and naturalist William C. Tweed, raises public awareness of environmental threats, such as global warming, against which our national park boundaries no longer guard. In line with California’s changing demographic, the educational piece is presented in both English and Spanish.
Jeff Jones’s keen understanding of the natural world, coupled with decades of experience in remote backcountry and wilderness areas, form the foundation for his exceptional landscape photography. His works—from sweeping panoramic vistas to intimate, abstract studies of nature’s elemental forms—reveal his respect for and endless fascination with landscapes ranging from the stark to the sublime. By seeing the world anew through the camera’s lens and by refining his photographic craft through the use of digital technologies, Jones provides us with images at once exquisitely envisioned and beautifully rendered. An active environmentalist, Jones follows in the American tradition of increasing popular support for wilderness through art.
CORRIDAN GALLERY
125 North Milpas Street, Santa Barbara CA 93103
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