Interview with
Anne de Carbuccia
French-American Environmental Artist & Founder of the Time Shrine Foundation
Anne de Carbuccia
French-American Environmental Artist & Founder of the Time Shrine Foundation
Photo Credit: Anne de Carbuccia
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Anne de Carbuccia is a French-American environmental artist who was born in New York and grew up in Paris. She now splits her time between Milan and New York. Anne studied anthropology and art history at Columbia University. Afterward, she began traveling to remote places in the world, creating and photographing temporary installations (TimeShrines) that document and preserve the memory of endangered places, animals and cultures. She established the Time Shrine Foundation and the project One Planet One Future which use the artistic photographs taken by Anne on her expeditions to raise awareness on human-caused threats to the environment (war, pollution, toxic waste, trash, etc.) in order to encourage sustainable behaviors and lifestyles.
Her images have been exhibited in museums and other public institutions in Europe and the U.S. and are part of several private collections. Her project ONE: One Planet One Future is permanently exhibited at Westbeth Center for the Arts in New York City and in Milan, Italy. |
About Anne’s TimeShrines:
She calls these installations TimeShrines as a reference to the way in which the installations, though ephemeral, become part of a permanent photographic record. The startling appearance of the TimeShrine in the image invites us to reflect on the planet’s beauty and frailty and inspires us to preserve it. Anne incorporates a human skull, an hourglass and found objects in meaningful and remote locations around the world. She adds organic elements to the shrine, such as whalebones and shells as well as tribal ornaments. Her images - a bold reimagining of classical still life composition - might be described as “live life” imagery.
About Time Shrine Foundation:
In 2015, Anne founded this nonprofit to raise awareness about vulnerable environments and cultures. The foundation is funded by individual and corporate donations as well as the sale of artwork and sustainable merchandise. Donations are used to organize free exhibitions and to support NGOs that work in the field to protect the animals and environments featured in the artwork. Educational classes are a key component. The foundation collaborates with educational institutions of all levels.
She calls these installations TimeShrines as a reference to the way in which the installations, though ephemeral, become part of a permanent photographic record. The startling appearance of the TimeShrine in the image invites us to reflect on the planet’s beauty and frailty and inspires us to preserve it. Anne incorporates a human skull, an hourglass and found objects in meaningful and remote locations around the world. She adds organic elements to the shrine, such as whalebones and shells as well as tribal ornaments. Her images - a bold reimagining of classical still life composition - might be described as “live life” imagery.
About Time Shrine Foundation:
In 2015, Anne founded this nonprofit to raise awareness about vulnerable environments and cultures. The foundation is funded by individual and corporate donations as well as the sale of artwork and sustainable merchandise. Donations are used to organize free exhibitions and to support NGOs that work in the field to protect the animals and environments featured in the artwork. Educational classes are a key component. The foundation collaborates with educational institutions of all levels.
In April, Myrna Beth Haskell, managing editor, visited Anne at her permanent gallery space at Westbeth Center for the Arts in New York City. She talked with Anne about her ongoing project, One Planet One Future, the Time Shrine foundation and her experiences while traveling the world to raise awareness about human-caused threats to our planet.
Before our interview began, I was given a few minutes to reflect on the large-scale images. They were hung in a spacious room with lots of natural light. The size of the images enhances their impact – they literally lure the viewer into the environment. I told Anne that I would describe the installations as sculptures.
Thank you for saying that. This is how I like to view them, too.
Thank you for saying that. This is how I like to view them, too.
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What inspired you to continue this project as an ongoing and lifelong pursuit?
Well our first expedition was at Lake Powell [a reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona]. Then, I just began traveling to many different locations. I was on a mission, and the more I saw, the more I wanted to do. I realized quite early on that this needed to be an ongoing project. It really was my way of channeling my own worries and anxiety about our planet. How have you chosen the places where you’ve built your installations? Sometimes I wonder…do they find me, or do I find them? I work with guides that serve as ‘protectors’ of the planet at these locations. I really want to visit those places where the environment is changing rapidly and in a negative way. In the future, I plan to visit the North Pole and the Great Barrier Reef. I work under water a lot - it’s one of my biggest subjects. There is so much to learn and to understand about water erosion, drought and receding glaciers. I have an exhibition of more recent work coming up in Naples, Italy in late June through September.* *Link to event is below. |
Myrna (left) with Anne in front of "Antarctic & Southern Elephant Seal Skulls"
at the Westbeth Gallery in New York City (April 2018) |
You have said that you walk as far as it takes. Do you mean that you walk until you’ve found a spot that feels innately right to you, or is it the most remote part of an area you are visiting?
I go with the guides until I’ve found the right spot – there’s a feeling that I get. It doesn’t matter how far I have to go.
You have a skull and an hour glass in all of your installations. What do these represent?
The skull (representing human vanity) represents our choice between a positive and constructive life and a superficial and vane life. You know, the skull was always a positive symbol. Modern Western cultures have made it a negative symbol.* The hour glass is one of our most ancient ways of measuring time – my installations represent past, present and future (what we have, what we may lose and what we’ve already lost). The hour glass also represents how time is fleeting.
*Symbolism of the skull: For the Aztecs, skulls were a positive symbol representing rebirth. Throughout history, skulls have also been used to ward off evil and as a symbol of change. Art that contains a human skull as a focal point is called a memento mori (Latin for "remember you will die"), a work that reminds people of their mortality. A vanitas (or vanity) is a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death.
What is significant about the fact that you’ve used “shrines” to convey your message?
I’ve always been fascinated with ancient cultures. Shrines are the most ancient, artistic way for people to represent what they fear as well as what they admire. Here is something to think about: Did people build shrines to connect with spiritual life or did they have a spiritual experience and then create a shrine in response to it? My shrines are always inspired by the incredible scene behind it.
You’ve included evidence of the effects of human intervention on the environment. Can you tell me more about that?
This is a pilgrimage for me – a quest really. I’m determined to raise awareness. I made these shrines so that a five-year-old can get it. The world can go one way or another. We need to learn to adapt, and getting kids aware and ready is part of that process.
Anthropocene* describes a period of time when humans started to affect the planet in a geological way. We’ve become a geological force, so to speak, and it is negative in so many ways. We can reverse this by empowering and inspiring our youth to make a difference. I seduce children with the art. The art instills messages in their minds.
Everyone needs to understand that daily gestures are a fundamental part of our civic duty to keep our planet clean. People don’t realize how powerful they are on a daily basis. Cleaning up one street or one apartment house can make a difference. Small goals should be set. If everyone did this, it would make an enormous impact.
*Relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.
I go with the guides until I’ve found the right spot – there’s a feeling that I get. It doesn’t matter how far I have to go.
You have a skull and an hour glass in all of your installations. What do these represent?
The skull (representing human vanity) represents our choice between a positive and constructive life and a superficial and vane life. You know, the skull was always a positive symbol. Modern Western cultures have made it a negative symbol.* The hour glass is one of our most ancient ways of measuring time – my installations represent past, present and future (what we have, what we may lose and what we’ve already lost). The hour glass also represents how time is fleeting.
*Symbolism of the skull: For the Aztecs, skulls were a positive symbol representing rebirth. Throughout history, skulls have also been used to ward off evil and as a symbol of change. Art that contains a human skull as a focal point is called a memento mori (Latin for "remember you will die"), a work that reminds people of their mortality. A vanitas (or vanity) is a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death.
What is significant about the fact that you’ve used “shrines” to convey your message?
I’ve always been fascinated with ancient cultures. Shrines are the most ancient, artistic way for people to represent what they fear as well as what they admire. Here is something to think about: Did people build shrines to connect with spiritual life or did they have a spiritual experience and then create a shrine in response to it? My shrines are always inspired by the incredible scene behind it.
You’ve included evidence of the effects of human intervention on the environment. Can you tell me more about that?
This is a pilgrimage for me – a quest really. I’m determined to raise awareness. I made these shrines so that a five-year-old can get it. The world can go one way or another. We need to learn to adapt, and getting kids aware and ready is part of that process.
Anthropocene* describes a period of time when humans started to affect the planet in a geological way. We’ve become a geological force, so to speak, and it is negative in so many ways. We can reverse this by empowering and inspiring our youth to make a difference. I seduce children with the art. The art instills messages in their minds.
Everyone needs to understand that daily gestures are a fundamental part of our civic duty to keep our planet clean. People don’t realize how powerful they are on a daily basis. Cleaning up one street or one apartment house can make a difference. Small goals should be set. If everyone did this, it would make an enormous impact.
*Relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.
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Do you include trash that you find in these locations in most of your installations?
Initially, I hadn’t planned to include trash. Then, I was noticing that even in the most remote places, such as Mt. Everest, I was finding all of this trash. So I started to incorporate it. The fundamental message is that everything is connected – the oceans, the land, the people…and that there are consequences for our actions. Your shrine with a view of Mt. Everest incorporates colored surgical masks. What is the significance of those? The Tibetan prayer flag has those colors which represent earth, wind, fire and water. The prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength and wisdom.* *Alongside these masks are pieces of trash found in the area with a beautiful view of Everest as a backdrop. Plastic bottles, tin cans and a discarded fuel tank are among the items. |
High Altitude Trash (View of Mt. Everest)
© Anne de Carbuccia |
Dance at Dusk (Kenya)
© Anne de Carbuccia |
As we stood before her photograph titled Dance at Dusk, we discussed the beauty and grace of elephants, and I shared with her that the expression "you have the memory of an elephant" originated from their tendency to return to the remains of a dead companion or relative long after it has died...which got us talking about how they use this as a survival mechanism.
Well now…that makes sense. When I was doing this installation I had to keep a distance. I just watched for hours. While observing, I noticed that one of the elephants turned a large piece of bone [from a poached elephant], then stood back and reflected on it. Just stared at it for a long time. They’re just amazing creatures, aren’t they? Could you tell me more about the Time Shrine Foundation and how the educational classes have been received? At the end of September 2017, the Time Shrine Foundation began to fund educational classes here at Westbeth. The teachers came first. Once they saw what it was all about, they asked about bringing their students in. |
The kids are so curious and interested. This is something we plan to continue. We have provided educational experiences to students from kindergarten through college age. We also hold events and seminars.*
*In April, Anne’s permanent exhibit was a featured stop during Westbeth’s annual dance festival. Dancers performed in front of the large photographs of Anne’s shrines.
Where do you find your sanctuary?
Mostly in my educational project. Art gives me a voice for the planet. It gives me hope. If one kid can be inspired to change the planet, that fulfills me in a way like nothing else.
*In April, Anne’s permanent exhibit was a featured stop during Westbeth’s annual dance festival. Dancers performed in front of the large photographs of Anne’s shrines.
Where do you find your sanctuary?
Mostly in my educational project. Art gives me a voice for the planet. It gives me hope. If one kid can be inspired to change the planet, that fulfills me in a way like nothing else.
