Houston, February, 2023: Government entities have taken to using every available tool to maximize potential outcomes of climate change. The National Parks Service (NPS) tasked selected artists to envision how the US system of parks can continue to serve the public as natural areas shrink and/or become unsafe. David Politzer is one such artist helping the public understand how the NPS can remain relevant as the Anthropocene cements itself in geologic History. 

“It’s a process of selecting for desired traits. Kind of like making new strains of fruit, or like a dog breeder who chooses a certain animal He uses powerful computer applications and artificial intelligence to assess and refashion doomsday scenarios. He creates new realities where human ingenuity has harnessed disaster, or at least made lemons into lemonade. 

“How can we benefit from global catastrophe? You know? Like, what’s the bright side of mass extinction?” Through a unique blend of science, design, and the realities of human-caused devastation, Politzer creates blueprints for the future of the NPS. 

The images offer glimmers of hope in each proposal. In Portals of the Passamaquoddy, a giant, rocky crevasse rises from the ground. It’s intimidating but also irresistibly curious. One can imagine visiting and being swallowed by its majestic granite walls. The NPS hopes that images like this will ultimately help shape Department of Interior (DOI) policy. As natural areas become hazardous, the need for models of safe, managed access will be critical. Your National Parks Service, with the help of artists like David Politzer, is expanding the potential of our precious parks for your timeless enjoyment.

Together, they aspire to carve a tunnel through the Anthropocene to a light on the other side. The exhibition will include 12 images of proposed parklands and several gridded floral and geological illustrations.

 
Artist Biography

David Politzer is the Associate Director of the School of Art at the University of Houston and Associate Professor of Photography and Digital Media. He received his MFA from Syracuse University in 2005 and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2004.

 
Politzer makes videos, photographs and performance works that explore the relationships between consumer technology, nature and social interactions. His solo exhibitions include those at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Artspace (NC), Artspace (CT), Real Art Ways, Lawndale Art Center, Houston Center for Photography, Galveston Art Center, Western Georgia University and Grand Central Art Center (CA).

 
Some group shows include those at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Museum of Northern Arizona, the El Paso Museum of Art, NURTUREArt, Southern Exposure and Vox Populi.
In 2011, Politzer received the Carol Crow Fellowship from the Houston Center for Photography. He was an artist in residence at Yaddo, Roswell Artists in Residence, Djerassi Resident Artist Program, Artspace (NC), Grand Central Art Center and the Museum of Northern Arizona. He lives with his wife and daughter in Houston, TX.