Andrea Sparrow‘s “Into the Delta” is a visual study of the Colorado River Basin, documenting the rivers of the basin and the water projects attached to them. This project explores the rivers of the basin, from headwaters down to the delta in Mexico, where the water no longer reaches the ocean. As climate change is ultimately water change, the forces at work on water in the west require reflection. We use every drop of the Colorado River system. What happens when there is less water? This project encourages an appreciation and contemplation of how we perceive and use water and how we need to respond as this precious resource is threatened by changes in climate.
Andrea Sparrow is an artist and photographer and Executive Producer with The Arctic Arts Project. Her work has focused on endangered landscapes for many years. For the past 5 years, Andrea has taken to the science and issues surrounding climate change. Andrea travels frequently to the Arctic as climate change is most evident there. She specializes in macro and drone photography and enjoys the contrasts and similarities these opposing scales allow her to explore.
Andrea is a deeply rooted communicator who is a keenly focused seeker of patterns. Her interests lie in understanding the systems of our planet and the systems of the human psyche- as these two elements are currently at odds with one another as climate change and our unsustainable resource use alter the environment in ways we couldn’t have anticipated 100 years ago. Traveling the planet has given her a window into the natural world, from the tiniest plants and creatures to the great vistas gained from the air. Patterns are revealed at all levels that hold regardless of scale.
“I find comfort in this simplicity because while there are a great many components, it feels as though they assemble in similar ways into living systems that have an inherent symbiosis allowing them to operate together. Questions are constant in my mind as I explore. Our instinctive desire for comfort and safety has led us to endanger ourselves, yet we seem unable to adjust to a less comfortable way of being in order to preserve the very environment we require to survive.” Andrea Sparrow