Landscapes of Extraction: The Collateral Damage of the Fossil Fuels Industries

Featuring the powerful images by acclaimed photographer J Henry Fair, as well as analytic graphics and interactive media developed for the exhibition An exhibition presented by the Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design and The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture The debate over our dependence on fossil fuels to provide energy and the subsequent gas emissions and planetary warming they create has largely focused on the invisible. Landscapes of Extraction, an exhibition at The Cooper Union featuring the impressive photographic works of J Henry Fair, provides an eye-opening look at the increasingly extreme industrial processes used to extract fossil fuels including mountain top removal, deep sea drilling and hydro-fracking. Known for taking great risks—such as daunting flyovers by plane to gain unique vantage points, Fair's work depicts the impact of the massive industrial energy sites of the world and the shockingly altered and polluted landscapes and fresh water supplies they manifest. Researched, developed and built by a group of recent graduates working at the Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design, the Architecture Archive staff, and J Henry Fair, the exhibition features analytic graphics and interactive media developed specifically for Landscapes of Extraction. Using media stations, individuals are able to personally connect and correlate how their energy use impacts the planet. The interface provides staggering factual information and engages visitors by:

• Illustrating site-specific extraction processes and documenting its effect on the landscape and surrounding environment
• Tracking the refinement, transportation and ultimate use of natural resources to generate energy
• Highlighting the impact each person can make toward creating a global difference. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling one aluminum can save enough energy to run a 100 watt light bulb for 20 hours and recycling one plastic bottle will power a computer for 25 minutes

Photographer J Henry Fair researches our world's most egregious environmental disasters and creates images that are simultaneously stunning and horrifying. Mr. Fair's work has received international media coverage and he has recently published his first book, The Day After Tomorrow: Images of Our Earth in Crisis (to be released January 2011). Exhibition on view: January 20 - February 26, 2011 Gallery Hours: Monday—Friday 12-7pm, Saturday 12-5pm Gallery Closed: Sunday, February 18, 19, 21 The Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery Free and open to the public. The Cooper Union