Yann Arthus-Bertrand calls himself an ‘activist’. He believes in the power of pictures. This is why in the past two decades, Arthus-Bertrand, who has specialised in aerial photography, has been capturing images of earth under mindless human assault. Millions have seen his photographs at exhibitions and online.
“I try to convince people that the human impact on planet earth is too big. I work for the people. That is why my exhibitions and documentaries are made available free,” Arthus-Bertrand told Financial Chronicle just before his exhibition, ‘Earth From Above’ opened on the Marine Drive promenade in Mumbai. His 60 large frames are on display for the first time in India as part of the Festival of France.
His work underlines the fact that the current levels and modes of human consumption, production and exploitation or resources are not viable over the long term. “We are too many people, we cannot continue the way we use our scarce resources. Everybody knows the problem but doesn’t want to believe it,” he said.
Most human beings are aware of the wrongs they commit, but are in denial mode. “My message is what can I do?” said the photographer, who became a director assistant at the age of 17, acted in some French films only to quit and study the behaviour of lions in Kenya’s Massai Mara national park.
Arthus-Bertrand earned his money as a hot-air balloon pilot. It was then that he discovered the earth from above and found the power of the planet’s beauty in pictures to raise awareness on the importance of preserving it.
In 1991, he founded Altitude, the world’s first aerial photography agency, bringing together photographs from across the world. His works, ‘The Earth From Above, Animals, Horses, 365 Days to Think About Our Planet, examine the links between man and nature. ‘Earth From Above’ has sold over three million copies and was translated into 24 languages.
“I copy reality in my pictures and blow it up,” said Arthus-Bertrand, who was jailed for a week in Argentina and is blacklisted in some countries. In India, he was denied permission to shoot the Sunderbans in West Bengal. “Even shooting in Mumbai was difficult because the bureaucracy here makes it too tough for people like me.”
Arthus-Bertrand’s photographs make you think about your role in protecting the environment. To drive home the message, his photographs describe the environmental concerns of locations that have been clicked. So, while the aerial shot of Venice looks beautiful, the subtext tells you that the city is sinking because of the settling subsoil and rise in sea levels. Similarly, the breathtaking picture of tulips in the Netherlands reminds you of the reality that they are grown with pesticides that are taking a heavy toll on the environment.
Arthus-Bertrand is travelling to Copenhagen this weekend.
“I am there not as part of any negotiating group. I want people to know about the damage we cause to ourselves,” he said.
According to Arthus-Bertrand, human beings and nature are not on either side. “We are in nature and we are the nature.”
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