"Ghosts" 2020

"Holding Line" 2022

  Wildfires are raging across the western United States, burning up increasingly large swaths of land every year. While fire is a natural part of many ecosystems, the increasing presence of larger, faster, and hotter fires is a reminder of the rapidly changing environment. Begun after experiencing the devastation of a wildfire in my hometown, this work explores solastalgia, which describes emotional and existential distress caused by negative environmental change, generally experienced by people with lived experience closely related to the land. Lands integral to our identity, our livelihoods, and our wellbeing are shifting and changing without notice or control. The experience of a wildfire is all consuming. It crowds out your vision. The pillar of smoke is unmistakable as anything else. Our communities are facing collective traumas as we wait for news about the spread and containment, constantly refreshing web pages and data bases. Although these are localized examples of wildland fire and the trauma that follows, collectively the scale of these events is unfathomable. The day to day struggles of normal life continues on as fires rage outside our windows, setting our lives in a scene of gray oppression.

  Integrating photographs, moving images, and text, The Sun Sets Midafternoon examines the immediate aftermath of megafires on surrounding communities and what the experience of local fires are like, interweaving narratives of ecological devastation, collective trauma, and climate grief.

"Skeletons" 2021

"Flee" 2020

"Downed Line" 2021

"Murmuration" 2020

"Mullen" 2020

"Black Earth" 2021

"Memorial Day" 2020

"Wayside" 2022

"Dirt Road" 2021

"Fire Line" 2021

"Alder" 2022

"River Gorge" 2020

"Red Rain" 2021

"Root Fire" 2021

"In the Weeds" 2020

"Valley" 2022

"Linger" 2021

"Chasing Flames" 2020

"Safeway" 2020

Please email jessicahaysphotography@gmail.com to view the complete body of work, or to inquire about print pricing and availability.
Print editions in 20" x 30" and 40" x 60"

10% of proceeds from print sales are donated to wildfire relief funds and/or climate change advocacy and policy funds. Previous examples include the Bridger Foothills Fire Relief Fund and the Bootleg Fire Relief Fund. 






Installation | Text Samples | Video Still 



Installation View, Old Main Gallery, A Tale of Two Valleys

Installation view, Old Main Gallery in Bozeman, MT.  Text Excerpt and three framed pieces, Flee, Red Rain, and Downed Line. 

Installation photo from Body, Breeze, Earth in Chicago, IL

7 ft x 10 ft installation in the Hokin Gallery, Wabash Arts Corridor, Chicago, IL. Larger, multi-wall, immersive installations upcoming. 

Installation View from Body, Breeze, Earth in Chicago, IL; Including The Sun Sets Midafternoon and Horizon Line

Installation photo from Body, Breeze, Earth in Chicago, IL

Installation photo from Body, Breeze, Earth in Chicago, IL

Excerpt from The Sun Sets Midafternoon

Video still, "Beachie Creek is Burning," 2:21 

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