Brian M. Guzzetti
August, 2006
Title of Show
The Afterlife of the USS Coldbrook—A photographic story of a shipwreck and the avian ecosystem that developed around it.
Medium
Color Photography
First Friday Reception
Friday, August 4, 2006 from 5:30 to 8 PM
Artist Statement
The Afterlife of the SS Coldbrook
Grounded in 1942 and lifted from its watery grave by the 1964 Alaskan Earthquake, the USS Coldbrook is testament to the power of nature. The earthquake which gave this shipwreck its unique resting place above sea level lifted Middleton Island 4 meters out of the Gulf of Alaska. Where bare cliffs once fell straight to the sea, vegetation now sweeping over them prevents thousands of seabirds, including black-legged kittiwakes, pelagic cormorants, and common murres, from nesting on their traditional breeding grounds. The Coldbrook is one alternative these birds have turned to for a place to raise their young. Following suit, the plant kingdom has moved in as well landscaping the deck with shrubs and grasses, which get nutrients from the guano deposited by the more than a thousand seabirds nesting on the ship. Given enough time, though, the birds may have to leave Middleton Island for good. Once a colossal achievement of industrial man, a design that took over a million years of human evolution to achieve, the structure is crumbling after a mere 60 years of exposure to Alaska’s maritime climate, flora, and fauna. Not to worry though, where seabird habitat was destroyed, a vast intertidal zone was created for shorebirds to colonize the island. The winds of change can really be seen sweeping through this tiny little corner of the world.
Photographer’s Statement
Although I discovered my passion for photography while living abroad, it has opened my eyes to parts of the world I thought I’d lost interest in, like my birthplace, New Jersey. I’m not so much an artist as a reporter, trying to bring to others what they may not have the time, opportunity, or patience to see for themselves. As a wildlife biologist, photography has become an indispensable tool that helps me bring the mundane in scientific data to life with captivating images of what’s out there, waiting to be further understood.
Additional Works
