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Jasmine Rossi
Argentina Nominee Children of the World Professional "Himba III" young Himba boys shave their heads and cover themselves in red paste, the Himba are the last nomads of the Namib desert I am fascinated by the beauty of primeval territories yet terrified by the physical changes occurring as the result of our industrial rampage and climate change. My work could thus best be described as a dialogue between awe and fear. Awe, when I find a place as far away from civilization as can be, as pristine as it has been for millennia, which fills me with a metaphysical reverence for the perfection and grandiosity of the landscape I am seeing. Fear, because I am aware that I am up against a race in time: - the emerald iceberg over a thousand years old, is melting before my very eyes, the chalk like desert I am immersed in is expanding to the end of the horizon. On my quest to portray the last true places of pure matter I seek the elemental; forms, shapes and sculptures in ice, rock and sand, created by the passing of time, some of which can only be described as surreal. “The Human Element†explores the relationship of humans with nature. By placing a naked, defenceless man inside a harsh, empty landscape, the series explores the fragility of us human beings -- naked as we are born ¬-- and highlights our inherent need for a healthy, benevolent planet that provides, protects and nurtures us. The Human Element juxtaposes the dependence of us humans on the planet with the capacity of the planet to exist perfectly well by itself. “The Earth doesn’t need humans but humans need Earthâ€. |
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