HYDERABAD: Huge dumps of e-waste, degeneration of natural resources, an increase in non bio-degradable resources across the globe might be issues that most people ignore now for many reasons. One of them being that they have already been heard of, spoken about and worked on so much. But, a striving need for revolution is essential to deal with the cause of nature. Working to promote and attain a similar aim are seven artists, who came together through the medium of photography, to re-tell the effect of pollution on the environment and to do their bit for the nature.
Titled, as “Urban Decay”, an exhibition that is currently on in the city, portrays the effects of urbanisation on nature. Urban Decay is defined as the process by which a city decomposes.
It envisions two parts --- a previously functioning city signifying growth or boom of human creation and the second, loss of that function leading to the city's fall into disrepair.
The curator of the exhibition and a US-based artist, printmaker, photographer, writer, scientist and entrepreneur Rahul Mitra, explains, “Urban Decay into dysfunction is built on the deindustrialisation, depopulation, disenfranchisement and desolation. Our definition of a perfect world is based on form, functionality and utility - The idea of urban utopia.” He adds, “Neither the sophisticated civilisations can easily identify nor stop this process of urban decay. Or even see it before it manifests. As we move forward in time, we are forced to be a part of it.
We are fascinated and fearful of it.” Further elaborating the impact of urban decay on nature, Rahul Mitra says, “Growth and decay are an inseparable phenomena.
Each governing the rate at which the other manifests.
The glue binding the urban world is made-up of industry, economy, disparity, opportunity.” Through their photographs, the artists Laxman Aelay from Hyderabad, Romain Froquet from France and Galina Kurlat, Lester Marks, Angelbert Metoyer, Rahul Mitra and Gary Sweeney, all from the United States of America have shared their experiences of the slowly degenerating nature.
Laxman Alelay's five frames christened as the broad band, E1, 220BX, G_K NT_, Inter consumption and Parks and Recreation depict the de-functionalised manmade objects, that interact with the nature. Inner Consumption, one of his photographs of an old car in a dump might not be a new sight, but the scene and the mood captured by him does generate a thought and a sense of guilt On the other hand, Romain Froquet's Trefle, Piece of Wall and ARBRE DE VIE traces the existence of urban decay through his line drawings.
Capturing the conversations of simultaneous growth and decay in large format photography are Galina Kurlat's Reclamation - 1,2,3 and Inherent Traits. Most of her frames show brutal truth of the ever-decreasing flora on the planet, that are asking for attention.
Lester Marks' photographs are abstract nature, while Gary Sweeney plays with the contemporary context.
One such photograph of her's is a projection of two dogs on a board is such a way that they are guarding a plane taking off in the background.
She calls the frame, “It's Okay. You are safe now!”. Angelbert Metoyeris' photos search for the invisible decay in personal, religious, scientific and artists universes and the curator Rahul Mitra's frames portray the human condition and various urban myths. One of his frames --- 'The Urban Decay' depicts a photograph of a television set and a beer bottle in a dump-yard.
“Urban Decay”, an international photography exhibition of over 30 photographs from seven artists-cum-photographers is on display at the Ravi Photo Gallery and is on till February 10.