As part of our Artist Spotlight series, we introduce you this month to conservation photographers Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson.  You can also view our past Artist Spotlights of Jonnie Miles, Carlo Mari, and Susanna Noel Jolly.

Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson have been documenting endangered tribes, species, and eco-systems since joining as a husband and wife team in 1996. Their first black and white book Lost Africa: The Eyes of Origin (Assouline 2004) placed in the fine art book category at the International Photography Awards in 2008. It highlights the twin scourges of globalization and climate change affecting tribes from Ethiopia and Namibia. Their newest book Walking Thunder: In the Footsteps of the African Elephant (Merrell 2009) is one of the first manifestos in black and white ever dedicated to a single species in the wild. Walking Thunder is dedicated to Cyril’s and Marie’s son Lysander who adores elephants. It placed in the nature category for the nature book of the year at the International Photography Awards in 2010. A documentary dedicated to the elephant and based on Walking Thunder, narrated by Ally McGraw, is currently in production. Their next book is called In Predatory Light and will focus on three continents.

Getting to Know You…

Of all the places you have traveled, which resonates most with you?
CC: Okavango Delta, Top of Kilimanjaro, Tibetan Plateau, and the Amazon
MW: The biologically diverse slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, the wildlife rich plains of the Masa Mara, the mountains of northern New Mexico

What do feel is the biggest challenge facing Africa today?
CC: Overpopulation, by far
MW: Human population growth and climate change

It often feels like one person can’t make a difference supporting the many environmental causes there are today. What small steps can people make to help conservation/preservation efforts in Africa or globally?
CC: Adopt a species & do everything possible to make sure it survives
MW: Step out your door and appreciate the wild around you whether in NYC, the suburbs, the rockies, or somewhere in Africa – it begins with awakening our senses. And find a cause and stick with it  – whether for wildlife, wild places, or people, and they are not mutually exclusive.

What themes or personal experiences are most commonly evoked in your art?
CC & MW:  The eternal and integral relationship between wildlife, place and indigenous people

What are you currently working on?
CC & MW: Our book on iconic predators and a film version of our elephant book

How do you continue to stay inspired?
CC: We have only one planet
MW: A sense of urgency as we document and show our son a world that may be very different by the time he is grown.

What websites and blogs to you frequently visit? 
CC: BBC, The Guardian
MW: The Guardian

What was the last book you read?
CC: The Tiger by John Vaillant
MW: Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales

Visit Cyril’s and Marie’s website to learn more about their work