Behind and Beyond the Image
Stories can be told with pictures and photophilanthropy has been established to connect photographers with non profit organisations to tell stories that can lead to social change. I am reminded of the work of Susan Scott (2002) who said you can change the world one conversation at a time (1c@t)
Perhaps the challenge is also to change the world one image at a time (1p@t).
‘India’s future? Men, Machines, but no water’, a photograph by Indian science journalist Pallava Bagla.
Water is a vital but scarce resource. Yet many people throughout the world do not have access to clean drinking water.
The photograph above communicates the idea that all the development of science and technology may fail to deliver on basic needs of people. The image is “posed” like a still life yet it instantly communicates the issue.
The glib answer is disappearing dresses. But much more happened in Belfast over the past couple of days. Wonderland-Belfast opened yesterday at the Ormeau Gallery. This is an extraordinary exhibition resulting from a partnership of talents from the world of fashion and science. The dresses are made from dissolving textiles and as they are lowered into water they disappear. The exhibition questions the environmental sustainability of our current fashion industry and what happens to used clothing. Dissolving bottles, are a further idea put into practice as an exploration of intelligent packaging. Once finished with, the bottles dissolve under hot water to form a gel in which seeds can be grown. The concept could revolutionise the packaging industry and aims to highlight issues surrounding waste plastic.
Today the group were joined by Sarah Brown from UCL and David Grimshaw from Practical Action. The diverse group brainstormed a range of ideas around the theme of “Water Futures”. Watch this space!
In Coriolanus Shakespeare reminds us that there is “a world elsewhere”. The forty selected photographs reflect a people facing life in areas of conflict, the challenges of climate change, or something which is largely outside their control. Some are reminders of the fragility of human life and others show human resiliance and hope.
The pictures taken in Palestine seem to capture alienation really well…or is that just because of the current news from that part of the world colouring my sensibilities?
