Photography Reception, "Above the Arctic Circle", Joe Decker July 27, 2007

Internationally recognized nature photographer Joe Decker will
debut "Above the Arctic Circle" July 27th in a rare solo show
in the Main Gallery of the Pacific Art League, 668 Ramona St.,
Palo Alto. The opening reception will be 6-8pm, Friday July 27, admission is free and the event is open to the public.

Szn Kraft, director of Chelsea's StudioLo in New York, reviewed
Decker's new body of work this way:
"A polar bear walking casually across rusty brown iron-rich rocks,
a low bush Birch tree in full autumnal brilliance, lichen clad
volcanic rocks, distant craggy mountains stretching along the horizon
into infinity…these are the images Joe Decker has brought back from
the Arctic. And behind each one is a story of some sort of hardship
it took to get the shot, hardships that are nowhere to be seen in
the images themselves. In the relative comfort of Decker's
California studio, he recalls the difficulties he went through;
shooting from an unstable dingy in icy water, the exhaustion of
short nights and severe cold, trudging up dangerous crumbling cliffs.
These risks were worth it to Decker, as he adds a new dimension
to his breathtaking collection."

Decker photographed in coastal East Greenland and Svalbard last
fall both to capture and interpret the Arctic's spare beauty and
to witness for himself its rapidly changing landscape.
"With polar bear populations declining in most areas, glaciers
retreating and sea ice becoming less common" he said, "I
felt an urgent need to record and communicate that incredible
environment."

J. D. Baker of Images For Earth said
"Disappearing arctic icebergs and polar bears have become an
unfortunate climate change 'canary in the coal mine.' Decker has
always been a thoughtful photographer, and I hope that his viewers
here will be equally thoughtful, about what is being lost in the
arctic today, and about the further ramifications if we do not
change course."

Decker hopes to continue this work in coming years, extending it
to include West Greenland, the Greenland ice sheet, and Nunavut.

"Above the Arctic Circle" will show for three days only: Friday
July 27 through Sunday July 29, with a reception from 6-8 pm on
Friday the 27th. The show will be open from 10am to 4pm on
Saturday and Sunday.

Joe Decker is an award-winning photographer whose work
has been exhibited\ across the United States, including shows
at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and LACDA in Los Angeles. He lives in San Jose, California.

Official Website: http://www.joedecker.net/