According to Douglas Gayeton, people lead more sustainable lives once they have a deeper understanding of the basic principles of the “next economy”. With this in mind, he founded, together with his wife, The Lexicon of Sustainability to convey these principles through film and photography and to enthuse the public. He utilises a technique he calls “flat film”, where hundreds of images are used to compose a single image. On these, handwritten texts are added, detailing the insights and observations from the people involved, and illuminating every possible question viewers might ask about what is in the photograph.

Reading as an informal, grassroots, peer-to-peer manual on how to live more sustainably, this series simultaneously introduces those who are already engaged in alternative, local methods. The project consists of three parts: the finished section Local: The New Face of Food and Farming in America, and the sections on water and energy which are currently under development.