To create “Subway,” Nix and Gerber spent months building a realistic model of a New York City subway car. The artists infuse their scenes with extraordinary detail, a defining attribute of their work. If you zoom in to view the subway posters, you will discover another defining attribute of their work: humor. The subway posters are from a series of advertisements encouraging subway riders to take a vacation, with titles such as “Take A Break From Life” and “Lose Yourself: Go On Vacation.” These advertisements have a dark irony, as the scene implies that humanity has gone on a permanent vacation. This behind-the-scenes look provides a sense of scale for the model used in the production of this work.

As a child growing up in Norton, Kansas, Lori Nix was fascinated by the tornadoes and other extreme weather events she experienced. In “Beauty Shop,” the artists capture the small-town feel of Nix’s childhood home, and invite us to consider how our lives might be altered by a tornado or other natural disaster. What effect will climate change have on tornado activity? Scientists generally agree that it will have an impact, but the precise nature of that impact is still uncertain. Learn more about the ongoing debate in this interview with climate scientist, Kevin Trenberth and this article on recent studies by researcher Harold Brooks and others.

In “Control Room,” Nix and Gerber present an abandoned command center that is flooded, rusting and frozen in time. The ironic image is a powerful reminder of humanity’s inability to predict and control all natural phenomena. In the context of climate change, some scientists warn of the potential for permanent climate shifts, which might render the planet uninhabitable by humans. Under these theories, continuing emissions of greenhouse gases might push us to a “tipping point,” beyond which we might experience a “runaway greenhouse effect” and irreversible changes to the Earth’s atmosphere. Learn more about these theories in this video talk by climate scientist James Hansen and this report on climate tipping points.

Lori Nix on her influences: “I am greatly influenced by landscape painting, particularly the Hudson River School of Painting which included the artists Thomas Cole, Asher Brown Durand, Frederich Edwin Church, Martin Johnson Heade, and the Romantic painter Casper David Friedrich. Each of these painters possessed characteristics of romanticism and the Sublime and its ability to create a state of mind and express intense emotions either through beauty or horror. . . . I also grew up watching 1970s films known as ‘disaster flicks.’ I remember watching Towering Inferno, Earthquake, Planet of Apes and sitting in awe in the dark. Here was the same type of dangers I had experienced day to day being magnified and played out on the big screen in a typical Hollywood way.” Learn more about Nix and Gerber’s inspiration and artistic process in this artist Q&A and video interview.

Throughout their work, Nix and Gerber present romantic visions of the post-human landscape. How well do they represent the reality of abandoned places that have been reclaimed by nature? Compare Nix and Gerber’s scenes with these photographs of abandoned places throughout the world. And, consider this article about the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, which discusses the resurgence of wildlife and plant life in the contaminated ecosystem surrounding the radioactive site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Get an inside look at how Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber construct their amazing diorammas in this video from the Science Channel.

Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber portray a future in which humans have disappeared and nature has reclaimed the urban landscape. Did we trigger the events that led to these eerie scenes? If you are inspired by their work, you can take action in your own life. Select one or more pledges listed below and spread the word. You can also learn more by visiting our Pledge Center. Let’s #EndOvershoot and save our #OneEarth.