Black and White Landscape Fine Art Prints: “Natural Wonders of Canyonlands: The Island in the Sky"

For this collection of fine art prints in my theme « shades of blacks and whites« , I wanted to explore the overwhelming feeling of smallness that we experience in the face of these grandiose and infinite landscapes.

I decided to focus on a theme of incomparable and unique landscapes for « Island in the Sky« , located in the Canyonlands of Utah in the United States.

The Canyonlands are an American national park that is divided into three main parts.

For this collection of black and white art photographs, I chose the northernmost part of the Canyonlands to be the « Island in The Sky« . The central part is « The Needles« . The southernmost part is « The Maze« .

The landscapes of « Island in the Sky«  are characterized by strongly defined mineral formations, which appear to be sliced so that one may see the individual layers. This is made of pink sandstone. The Colorado and Green Rivers have eroded the colored rocks, forming the area's characteristic canyons. « Island in the Sky«  appears to be suspended at 1,800 meters (5900 feet) above sea level. The two rivers meander 1,200 meters (3907 feet) below the plateau.

To contemplate the landscapes from the heights of the Canyonlands plateau is to become aware of what « immensity », means in the broadest sense of the term. Contemplating the canyons makes us aware of our smallness on the earth.

Looking at the depth of the canyons, we can only humbly acknowledge our inferiority compared to the overwhelming power of natural elements. The elements of water, earth, air, and fire are capable of shaping nature on a grander scale then human beings could ever achieve.

Contemplating « Island in the Sky«  from the heights allows the viewer to recognize the countless years of time that passed as the landscapes were slowly formed to become what is visible today. It truly is a rugged perspective of the desert. Vegetation is scarce due to the high altitude, which means that the few noticeable plants who do survive amongst the mineral formations are great accomplishments in themselves. We realized that it takes a long time to achieve such a beautifully wild sight.

Contemplating these artistic photographs makes us recognize that we must relearn the importance of taking time to build the foundations in our life. We must also understand that nothing is frozen forever. The erosion caused by strong winds, the cold of winter, and the heat of summer, will gradually transform these landscapes. In hundreds of years, the shape of the mineral structures will have changed. Although we remain the same person, times shapes us. Tomorrow, we will be different from ourselves today. We will have acquired new knowledge. We will be more empathetic and just. We will become better human beings. This is all I hope for myself.

Finally, these wonderful mineral landscapes of « Island in the Sky«  in the Canyonlands are a life lesson for those who know how to look and appreciate. These fine art prints in black and white teach us that nothing is eternal, that everything is moving. We must never dwell on our own lot or circumstance. We must adapt, evolving to become even better.

This is the message that I would like to convey through this collection of black and white art prints dedicated to the natural wonders of « Island in the Sky » in the Canyonlands.