The Art of History and Restoration

This project operates at the intersection of artistic expression and scientific necessity. The fine art component serves to draw public interest, funding, and engagement, allowing the critical work of baseline documentation to proceed. By creating stunning images, we ensure the project is not just a scientific record, but a cultural anchor—a testament to the power of place. The captured GPS points ensure that the work is not merely art, but a long-term scientific asset, providing an irreplaceable visual metric for measuring future environmental and land-use change around a unique Montana landmark. It may someday offer critical information for land restoration.

Square Butte, Cascade County

As you head south along the Missouri River bench toward Helena, Montana, from Great Falls, you have to be moved by the dramatic scene of a massive basalt intrusion named Square Butte. This conservation photography project documents the current “baseline” condition around Square Butte, starting with photographs of the area that prominently feature Square Butte. This project is for everyone who will someday say, “You should have seen it when I was a kid.” For those who will wonder what it must have looked like 50 or 100 years ago. It’s also a project with real scientific significance. I’m a scientist by training. My study area was restoration.

My observations tell me that humans are good at taking things apart with little regard for the consequences. In a few cases, we come back later to restore them. So, the intent is to create a visual representation of the area around Square Butte for future reference. In the meantime, I’m also creating works of art that could be proudly displayed in galleries, homes, hospitals, bars and taverns, restaurants, and so on—photographs of Square Butte.

Each photograph has a recorded location, or a specific place on Earth where the image was captured. That point will not change, but the scene will over time. Because that point will never move, the locations can be revisited, and photographs can be re-captured from the same place in the years to come. Perhaps one day someone will need the pictures to tell a story. Maybe it’s a story about the people who once lived here. Or possibly a story about land use and landforms. No matter the story, this project makes it possible to see what the land once looked like and, perhaps, use the information to one day rebuild the landscape after it’s “ruined” or destroyed.

Part Two of this project is to photograph and learn what people today think about Square Butte and the surrounding area. Ideally, I will make portraits of people holding something significant, whether it’s an old photo of a relative, a book, or a found item, relic, or collection from the area. Alternatively, I would photograph them in a space special to them that also includes all or part of Square Butte. If I can get multiple family members to pose for me, I’ll include them as well. Lifestyle - or photos of real-life action around Square Butte would be a bonus! The photo(s) will be captioned. The names of the person(s) and, in their own words, descriptions of the importance of Square Butte will accompany the images.

Part Three is to print the book and make it available for purchase.