Growing With the Landscape Side by Side

My photographic series, Growing With the Landscape Side by Side, weaves a natural setting of hope and resilience to the local landscape of Staten Island, and its regrowth since the Clean Water Act of 1972. As a child growing up in Staten Island, fantasy came easily to me living within a dysfunctional home. Mother carried me from Rosebank to South Beach on the back of her travel bicycle. There, I built sand castles out of trash using tampons as drawbridges while eating homemade tuna sandwiches. Not knowing how toxic the beach water was, I jumped into the water for relief from the sun and emerged with toes covered in tar. My memories live and breathe the sweetness that is upon us during cherry blossom season or a sweet ocean breeze. How can we talk to Mother Earth and hear her wisdom, knowing that believing is not a conclusion but a way into the vitality that awaits everything?

Artist Bios

Christine “Tina” Hackett

Christine “Tina” Hackett is a New York-based photographer and environmental activist, currently pursuing a B.A. in Environmental Sciences and Studio Arts at Hunter College, CUNY. With over two decades of experience as a television and film set designer, she has honed her skills in research, curation, and the creation of immersive environments.

As a native New Yorker, born in the Bronx and raised in Staten Island, Tina’s photography delves into the evolving relationship between urban landscapes, the environment, and the concept of home in NYC. Her work is deeply influenced by her childhood experiences along the city’s waterfronts during the 1970s, a period marked by significant environmental challenges. Through her lens, she documents environmental injustices and the dynamic nature of urban geography, aiming to raise awareness and inspire change.

Tina’s unique perspective, blending artistic vision with environmental advocacy, offers a compelling narrative that resonates with both local and broader audiences.

Organizations

The Alice Austen House

A vibrant cultural center, the Alice Austen House keeps the bold spirit of the early American photographer alive by presenting changing exhibitions of Austen’s pioneering historic photographs and of contemporary photography, providing education programs for students, offering a range of cultural programs for the public.
NYC Parks

NYC Parks is the steward of more than 30,000 acres of land — 14 percent of New York City — including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 1,800 basketball courts, 550 tennis courts, 65 public pools, 51 recreational facilities, 15 nature centers, 14 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches. We care for 1,200 monuments and 23 historic house museums. We look after 600,000 street trees, and two million more in parks. We are New York City’s principal providers of recreational and athletic facilities and programs. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals.