Another artwork is Manifest Destiny by Alexis Rockman, is an apocalyptic vision of the Brooklyn waterfront several hundred years into the future, after climate change has transformed the landscape. It’s a scene of decay and renewal. While you don’t see human life depicted, you do see flora and fauna of all kinds, which confirms that life persists. This painting has particular significance in Rockman’s career because it’s his first work to directly confront the climate crisis and its toll. The public is fascinated by this fiery-looking dawn over a devastated New York. The Brooklyn Bridge in a state of ruin. I think part of the fascination stems from the artist’s synthesis of fact and fiction. It’s a fantasy, but also potentially a prophetic
