The Anthropocene is a proposed geological era that describes the period in Earth’s history when human activity has had a significant impact on the planet. It is characterized by technological progress; population growth; and production and consumption. It is based on the fact that we have fundamentally altered the physical, chemical, and biological systems of the planet.

These pictures provide an opportunity to take pause on the visual impact of the Anthropocene. I paint from publicly available aerial imagery, a powerful tool to view landscape-scale development through time. I examine agriculture, silviculture, and water in Oregon and Washington. From the sky, a pattern of modification and control is apparent. Land is compartmentalized. Water is coerced. Forests are farms. Remnants of the former landform bleed through.

In the Western United States, human impact has unfolded at an unprecedented rate and scale over the last 75 years. These pictures are a snapshot in history, 2024 to be exact. What did these places look like 100 years ago and what will they look like 100 years from now? I hope someone will paint these places in 2124 to tell that story.