Josie Iselin

Josie Iselin is the photographer, author and designer of many books exploring our coastal universe. Beach Stones was published in 2006, Beach: A Book of Treasure in 2010 and her visual primer on seaweed, An Ocean Garden: The Secret Life of Seaweed, was published in 2014. Iselin continues her explorations into the world of marine algae with her new book, The Curious World of Seaweed (Heyday Books, August 2019), an ambitious combination of essays and historical as well as contemporary imagery. It has been shortlisted for both The Northern California Book Awards and The Alice Award, honoring illustrated books. This book chronicles the natural history as well as the history of science of sixteen iconic Pacific coast seaweeds and kelps. Iselin uses her visual art practice—the act of looking closely—as the stimulus for her scientific research and storytelling. You can often find her on various coasts at low tide exploring tide pools and investigating the intertidal realm. About her time at the Mesa Refuge, Josie said:

“My two weeks at The Mesa Refuge were a turning point in my life as a writer. The Mesa Refuge provided just that, a refuge; a place where time slows down just enough to let thinking, organizing of ideas and writing to occur. There, I had the luxury of not only watching the tide go in and out twice a day, but enough space both literally and conceptually to let what had initially seemed an overwhelming and daunting next book project take shape and my research organized. The connection and conversations with my Mesa Refuge teammate not only helped me refine ideas but blossomed into an important friendship. I feel honored to be among the creative thinkers who have lived under the arbor created by The Mesa Refuge. It has given me the confidence to keep telling stories that are sometimes at odds with prevailing winds.” 

Josie Iselin holds a BA in visual and environmental studies from Harvard and an MFA from San Francisco State University and she currently teaches in the School of Design at SFSU. For over twenty-five years she has used her flatbed scanner and computer for generating imagery. Iselin exhibits large-scale fine art prints at select galleries and museums, advocates for ocean health through education and speaks widely on the confluence of art and science. She always has new projects in the works at her studio, Loving Blind Productions, located underneath her house, on a steep hill in San Francisco. See this short video about her most recent book, and find more information about her work on her website.