INWOOD — A local photographer is using his camera and a beloved uptown community garden to tackle climate change.
The photo installation, entitled "The Answer Is in the Soil," is tucked inside the gazebo in Bruce Reynolds Garden in Isham Park and features a black and white image of several hands reaching out to a question mark on a silver ball.
The imagery highlights what Cristobal Vivar, 43, said are the concerns many have with climate change “as this big thing that’s coming at you.”
“I want people to think about climate change and [find] solutions,” Vivar said.
Vivar, who has been living in Inwood for four years, also recently participated in the Inwood Film Festival earlier this year and produced a short film highlighting seasonal changes with Inwood Hill Park as the backdrop.
But Vivar hopes the image at Isham Park, which was first taken at the Floor Wall Street events in 2014, will not daunt viewers, but rather compel them to think of solutions, the Mexican-born artist said.
He added that — as the title depicts — “the answer is in the soil.”
Vivar said restoring agricultural land and planting new trees are just a few beneficial practices that can be adopted.
For the photographer, having his work at the community garden and creating solutions locally is a sign of hope.
“I think that [this picture] is good for this place,” he said. “It’s such a beautiful place.”
Vivar's exhibit could be seen through Aug. 28.
