Still Burning by Kevin Cooley

Issue 153

In my photographic practice, I focus on elemental forces of nature to question systems of knowledge related to our perceptions and everyday life experience. These phenomenon/systems-based inquiries became very personal in 2017 when the La Tuna Fire nearly destroyed my Los Angeles house, studio, and entire photographic archive. Still Burning centers on work created before, during, and after this wildfire as a continuation of an ongoing study of fire’s physical and symbolic properties, and as a personal catharsis. This long-term photography project collides images of tamed and untamed fires, creating a comprehensive look at fire’s role within humanity’s relationship to the natural environment.

I make intimate photographs of fires in controlled situations. Focusing on the physics behind fire behavior moments after ignition, these images specifically examine how fire spreads. Imposing black and white fire clouds contend with one another in a physical battle between diametrically opposing forces, thick clouds of colored smoke appear to consume natural beauty, such as wildflowers, and unexpected combustions obscure the landscape.

These instances of controlled burning appear alongside landscape images from wildfires blazing completely out
of control, including some of the largest fires in California history. Concentrating specifically on landscapes inside wildfire vulnerable areas, I aim to question the sustainability of living in this rapidly expanding zone.

The combination of controlled vs. uncontrolled conflagration highlights the inherent dualities in our relationship to fire. Fire is a powerful natural force that we harness for the greater good, and it is the only Classical element that we can create on-demand. Yet, when out of control, it has the potential for grave destruction.

For the next chapter of this project, I will collaborate with the Forest Fire Research Center (Centro de Estudos de Incêndios Florestais) in Coimbra, Portugal. In reimagining their groundbreaking research on fire propagation and moisture content of fire fuels in their laboratory-based environment, I will add another layer of complexity and meaning to both their and my work.
Every fire has a narrative. Wildfires often have a name that partially explains their story, and learning to understand and control fire is integral to human history. As the relationship between mega-fires, the burning of hydrocarbon, and climate change become more urgent, a better understanding of it is vital to figuring out how we will continue to live on an increasingly flammable planet.

Kevin Cooley (he/him) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
kevincooley.net | @kevincooley_