The Jumeirah Emirates Towers' new Kashta Gallery is launching its first exhibition by aerial landscape photographer George Steinmetz, entitled “The Empty Quarter” Monday where the photographer will be present to sign his recently published book, “The Empty Quarter.” Shooting from the harness of a motorized paraglider flying hundreds, sometimes thousands of feet above the ground, Steinmetz has created an unparalleled portrait of the Empty Quarter. Curated by arabianEye, 25 images ranging from 24X36” to 24X65” panoramas are on sale priced between $4,700 and $8,000. The images cover a vast expanse from Yemen, to Oman, to the UAE and finally Saudi Arabia. Steinmetz offers stunning images of the desolate yet beautiful landscape, the region's nomadic people and their unique customs, and its resilient wildlife that few if any outsiders have ever seen. The Empty Quarter's punishing terrain has rarely been captured on film, and never from such a striking perspective. Old maps, satellite images, and a dose of Arabian hospitality enabled Steinmetz to travel where few have ever ventured. He reveals in his photographs a true wilderness, without a single permanent human habitation or known point of water, preserved by its harsh climate and extreme remoteness, as well as a fascinating tradition of a hardy people living at its edges. Artist Biography Born in Beverly Hills in 1957, George graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Geophysics. Best known for his exploration photography, George Steinmetz sets out to discover the few remaining secrets in our world today: remote deserts, obscure cultures, the mysteries of science and technology. A regular contributor to National Geographic magazine, George has won numerous awards for photography during his 25-year career, including two first prizes in science and technology from World Press Photo. George is represented in the Middle East by arabianEye.com. Since 1986, George has completed 18 major photo essays for National Geographic and 25 stories for GEO magazine in Germany. His expeditions to the Sahara and Gobi deserts have been featured in separate National Geographic Explorer programs. In 2006 he was awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation to document the work of scientists in the Dry Valleys and volcanos of Antarctica. He has also won awards and citations from Pictures of the Year, Overseas Press Club and Life Magazine's Alfred Eisenstadt Awards.
