Event Fuses Art, Science and Climate Inquiry to Uncover Hidden Stories of Earth’s Fractured Landscapes
An exhibition of new photographs, paintings, sculptures, and video installation by artist Marek Ranis explores the power, patterns, and beauty of rock cracking—a foundational process shaping our planet and unexpectedly responding to climate change. Kicking off Earth Month, Subcritical will be on view at Hodges Taylor as part of the Organizer Series. A public opening reception will be held April 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm; the exhibition will be on view April 5-9 by appointment only.
The vast artistic work of “Subcritical” was created out of an intense three-year collaboration between Ranis and geoscientist Martha Cary (Missy) Eppes, both professors at UNC Charlotte, and was funded by the National Science Foundation and the UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture.
A professor of Earth Sciences and a Fulbright Research Scholar, Eppes’s pioneering research has revealed the unexpected impacts of changing climates on rock fracture, an area of study that is quite literally fundamental to our world.
“There is no rock on Earth that does not have fractures,” Eppes has written. “Fractures impact every conceivable process shaping the Earth’s surface. They control how rivers cut into rock, how glaciers erode, how volcanoes erupt, and how landslides occur.”
A grant from the National Science Foundation allowed Ranis to embark on an expansive artistic field study with Eppes across the United States, Canary Islands, Faroe Islands, and Israel. His creative work – rooted in climate discourse since 2002—has often drawn from global scientific collaborations, and this exhibition marks a significant milestone in that journey. The result is a powerful visual exploration of climate science through art.
The public event on April 4 is more than an exhibition reception – it’s a journey into the territory of visual storytelling and scientific research. Through creative engagement and conversation, Ranis and Eppes will guide visitors from the monumental into the microscopic – or subcritical – forces that break, split, and transform stone over time. They will also unveil Subcritical, Third Culture, Field Notes, published in 2024 by the UNC Charlotte J. Murrey Atkins Library, through UNC Press. The groundbreaking monograph, produced with José L.S. Gámez, dean of the College of Arts + Architecture, dives deep into the Third Culture—the fusion of science and art as a means to understand and communicate climate change.
Event Details:
Subcritical
April 4 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Hodges Taylor (Located in The Rail Yard South)
1414 S Tryon St, Ste 130, Charlotte, NC 28203
(For private showings April 5-9, contact Marek Ranis.)
Exhibition Opening & Reception – View photographs, paintings, sculptures, and video installation by artist Marek Ranis.
Book Launch & Signing – Meet the authors and get an exclusive signed copy of “Subcritical, Third Culture, Field Notes.”
Artist & Scientist Conversation – A thought-provoking dialogue between Marek Ranis and Missy Eppes on interdisciplinary research and climate awareness.
Co-organized by the UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture, Department of Art & Art History; the College of Humanities, Earth & Social Sciences, Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences; and J. Murrey Atkins Library, this event promises to transcend the traditional gallery experience, drawing in artists, scientists, scholars, and changemakers alike.
Pictured: “Subcritical 12″ 2023, digital print on aluminum 48″ x 60 ” by Marek Ranis.