current SHOW
"BEARS, CATS, DUNES, ICE AND TWO ELEPHANTS":
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN LIPKOWITZ
MAY 3 - MAY 26, 2024
OPENING RECEPTION: SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2-6 PM
For a quarter of a century, John Lipkowitz has been a serious photographer primarily interested in nature and wildlife. His many travel experiences, both alone and with his wife, Nina, have been focused on nature especially the wildlife of Africa and the ice, light and wildlife of Polar regions.
“Traveling to Polar regions, especially the Arctic in summer with 20 to 24 hours of daylight presents opportunities to maximize one’s day. If a polar bear is sighted at 2 AM it is up, pile the layers on, and go out on deck no matter how cold to await the long approach of our ship as the captain seeks to minimize the alarm for the bear. “
“As sentient beings, each bear has a personality and some exhibit fear as this giant “creature” (the ship), approaches which causes us to break off contact. In contrast, others are curious and either pay us little attention, or, if the bear is one of the rare ones, it actually appoaches us”
His travels in southern and eastern Africa offered wildlife and landscape on a much different platter.
Although the numbers of many species have plummeted since first there in 1997, Lipkowitz has observed how human encroachment, hunting and poaching has caused habitat loss. Many countries in Africa have well-developed protected lands consisting of national parks, tribal areas and private concessions recognizing the educational and economic benefits for their people of preserving as much as possible of what wildlife that remains.