As we said yesterday, we got so many strong submissions this month that picking winners was extremely difficult. Many excellent images had to remain in what some submitting artists have affectionately dubbed “the slush pile” (a term that seems particularly apt this month). Nadja is particularly partial to the first two in this series by Barry Bruner - but really, there are many worth clicking through for. One thing to keep in mind for this contest: though on the blog we give a theme, when we look for winning images, we look for an image that contains the theme within itself. That is to say, to make a good cover, the stand alone image needs to be able to conjure the idea of global warming without surrounding text. Thank you to all the artists who took the time to submit - we look forward to hearing which images you liked and why. Stay cool!
Global Warming Cover Contest: The Winner
We got so many good images that it was very difficult to choose a winner. Any of the runners-up should think of themselves as winners. We put this image on top because of the strong concept.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #1
By Fabrice Giband
The rendering is so dramatic and effective that it carries the picture. We like the hint of salvation provided by the animals on the ramp; any evocation of Noah’s Ark makes you think about the end of the world.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #2
By Jack Hunter
This image is very clever. It’s a good twist on a well known symbol of winter in New York. A good simplified color palette with a green organic silhouette that pops against the grid of the buildings.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #3
By Vincent Des Jardins
This image sends shivers down my spine. It’s true that the city has a concentration of tall buildings downtown. Maps flatten, and in most 2D renderings of arial views of the city, you lose the height of the buildings. But here, that sense of height is made all too clear. It’s an effective way to diagram the devastation that global warming could bring.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #4
By Chee Yang Ong
This image perfectly captures a quintessential New York experience. Nadja has been thinking about this image a lot as she waits for the subway to come. This makes the intense heat seem healthy and purifying — which is maybe better than focusing on how sticky you feel.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #5
By Ed Carosia
This is one more of the many bears and penguins we received this week (see the slideshow we posted earlier). The reason this one stands out is because it’s so simplified and pared down. It’s both very cute and very scary.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #6
By Gregory Turner-Rahman
I like that the distinction between the person on the sidewalk and the mannequins has melted away. Everyone has been turned into some shielded over shell, and the only organic thing you see is the tail of the dog.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #7
By Daniel Kondo
A good illustration of the topic, but… the gondolier is smiling and it actually looks like a great way to get around. Because it glosses over the truly scary implications of New York underwater, this image isn’t as searing as some of the others.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #8
By Carolyn G. Garcia
A complicated image that seems to reference the military-industrial complex. It has a steam-punk attitude — it blurs the line between the organic and the mechanic. There’s something violent going on here, and we’re both the victim and the perpetrator.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #9
By Denis Mohr
This quick sketch of a funny idea made Nadja laugh out loud. It’s a release to be able to laugh in the face of such a grim topic.
Global Warming Cover Contest: Runner-Up #10
By Diane Barton
An effective, if depressing, depiction of a fast-approaching reality. I often think that it should’ve been called “climate change” because “warm” doesn’t sound threatening - this is the kind of heat that’s scary. The limited palette, simplicity, and long horizon with an extreme close-up all work together to make an image that draws you in.
Behind the scenes atThe New Yorker with art editor 