Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
This photograph by Adrian Dorst (the original is colour) is one of many that dominate
Clayoquot: on
the wild side
. It represents the forest as teeming with life, as largely absent of people, and as stunningly
beautiful ( c
Adrian Dorst).
Clayoquot: on the wild side
(Dorst and Young, 1990), was, Braun argues, both
symptomatic and formative. Its representations of Clayoquot resonated
with those contained in a book like
The Great Bear Rainforest: Canada's
forgotten coast
(McAllister
et al.
, 2007) published seven years later. The
140-plus high-quality colour images were taken by wildlife photographer
Adrian Dorst, with accompanying text written by environmental journalist
Cameron Young. The preface was authored by renowned Canadian wildlife
artist Robert Bateman. Together, words and pictures depicted 'a sublime,
enchanting landscape
intricate, even deli-
cate, ecological relations' (Braun, 2002: 76). In contrast to
Beyond the cut
,the
reader of Dorst and Young's book was enjoined to see Clayoquot as one the
last redoubts of a beautiful, pristine forest ecosystem in need of preservation
against the bulldozer of 'progress'.
This was achieved, in large part, through Dorst's stunning photographs,
which dominated the topic (see
Plate 4.2
). They depicted majestic, moss-
covered trees, high mountains, deep valleys, rugged coves, torrid rivers, and
forested islands surrounded by blue seas. Many of the views were panoramic,
so that Clayoquot appeared awe-inspiring and grand. Other images were
framed at ground level, training the eye on ancient, individual cedar trees.
Young's text instructed the viewer on how to 'see' Clayoquot, as if instruc-
tion were needed. For instance, at one point he declared that 'This is still
a virgin landscape lost in time and governed by the unequivocal laws of
nature - a gift to humanity
...
[of] powerful forces and
...
...
you feel that you are witnessing the perpetual
...
big bang of creation
' (cited in Braun, 2002: 78).
