HOW MANY SPECIES OF PLANTS ARE THERE IN THE UNIVERSE? SCIENTISTS HAVE
PREDICTED TO BE A NUMBER JUST SHY OF 400,000 AND A LARGE PROPORTION OF THAT
NUMBER IS ENDANGERED OR ARE ALREADY EXTINCT.
HOW MANY OF US
BELONG TO HOMO SAPIENS, OR AT LEAST CALL OURSELVES HUMANS? THE NUMBER IS MORE
THAN 7 BILLION AND IT IS ON THE RISE. THE VEGETATION IS DWINDLING FAST ON OUR
PLANET, THANKS TO OUR INSATIABLE DESIRE OF OVER CONSUMPTION AND EXPLOITING OUR
MOTHER EARTH.
Is this what we envisage? Have we become
so blithe in our approach towards life that we have started taking nature for
granted? The Last Leaf shapes our lost vision by
presenting all that could be left if we continue to give in to our illusions of
more want. It is a psychological journey of fallen, withered, trampled down,
plucked leaves taken across different regions of the world across the
background of man-made structures of gravel, concrete and the naturally
occurring soil. It has been developed digitally using the approach of an early
photography process which gives a tarnished and faded look to the leaves. These
abstracts of leaves lying motionless on the ground with a somber calm makes us
wary of our own uncertain future. This is an archival long-term work which is
also to be presented as a zine and an installation.
This also has another deep-seated meaning for us. As a man, one is always intrigued by the forms, textures, and colors of leaves, so diverse they are that they remind us of our own diversity. The repetition in the narrative has been used to reflect this notion. What is magical is that they are one of the building elements of a plant, nourish it and help it grow as well. If we as humans can also build a positive ecosystem devoid of ego and differences, how wonderful would the world be. To let go of the hatred and embrace the diversity to help each other grow as a race. Is this too much to ask for? These are questions that we need to introspect for all the answers lie within us. Death of these leaves is synonymous to the death of the human body too. What do we want to be remembered as? Who do we want to be remembered as?
ABOUT DEBMALYA
RAY CHOUDHURI
Debmalya Ray Choudhuri (b. 1992) is a writer, visual artist and
documentary story teller from India currently based in New York.
He sees the visual medium as a reflection of his soul and portrays the
world according to his own interpretation. He has published his work in magazines
and platforms in India like Better Photography India, Inspiro India, Asian
Photography magazine, etc and also international publications on The Guardian,
The BBC, The Telegraph UK, Nat Geo, Invisible Photographer Asia, MonoVisions,
contemporary art platforms like Phroom magazine, Feature Shoot, Lensculture. He
has displayed across the country and abroad like Blank Wall gallery, Athens,
India Habitat Center, Focas Photo festival Scotland, Edinburgh Napier
University, Rochester Fringe Festival,etc. He also received several awards in
the course of his ongoing journey, notable ones being honorable mentions in
Neutral Density Awards 2016, International Photographer of the Year 2016,
International Photography Awards(IPA), Sony World Photo Awards 2016. He believes
that true happiness comes with an honest intent. He has tried to
maintain that through his work, which is often shaped by the experiences that
he has had: his images are often dark and mysterious and then at other times,
soaked in reverie. He was awarded as emerging photographer from Calcutta by
Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation, Mumbai and has also been part of national
art residencies with the Piramal Foundation, Mumbai. He was a part of a
contemporary art movement across India called The Narrative Arts movement
(2017).He was also selected for the prestigious mentorship program of
Invisible Photographer Asia and now wants to carry on and explore his vision
further on his long-term projects apart from the commissioned work. [Official website]
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reproduced from a publication by Debmalya in Dodho Magazine
