A photograph that captures the awe-inspiring power of nature
When the photographer Irina Rozovsky moved from Boston to Athens, Georgia, she began exploring her new surroundings by taking walks in her neighborhood. On one such walk in 2018, after a storm, she encountered a flooded, murky path. Standing at the edge of the water was a young girl, basking in the sunlight and witnessing the extraordinary scene before her. This moment, as described by Rozovsky, was a mixture of both enchantment and terror, resembling a child’s journey into a bewitched forest.
Rozovsky’s untitled photograph will be featured in the upcoming exhibition “A Long Arc: Photography and the American South Since 1845” at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. In a companion book introduction, Imani Perry, a contributing writer for The Atlantic, reflects on contemporary photographers who capture the unique landscapes of the American South in a way reminiscent of 19th-century sublime aesthetics. Perry explains that in the South, nature inevitably triumphs over human constructs and destruction.
Despite the environmental undertones of the photograph, Rozovsky clarifies that she did not intend it as a political statement. As a mother, she is concerned about the future her daughter will inherit in a world affected by climate change. However, as a photographer, she was drawn to the serene and surreal beauty of the scene, with its unsettling scale.
As a recent resident of the South, Rozovsky has been captivated by its dramatic nature. She describes it as untamed and wild, even within the confines of a suburban neighborhood like Athens. Although she does not follow any religious beliefs, Rozovsky likens the experience of witnessing fallen trees and flooded paths to something biblical, evoking a sense of a higher power at play.
This article appears in the October 2023 print edition with the headline “Confronting the Unbelievable.” When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.
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