The Prix Pictet is one of the most prestigious photography contests. This year’s theme was Growth and it is interesting that most of the photographers chosen as finalists chose to portray Growth in negative terms – the pursuit of Growth as something that is damaging our planet. How long is this attitude sustainable? How long can the environmental movement keep portraying itself as the enemy of growth and development and still maintain enough public support.  My suggestion is – not for long. It is time that the environmental movement went beyond the politics on “NO” to a less conflicting and more constructive future.

Edward Burtynsky and Chris Jordan – also previously reviewed in this blog – were finalists in this year’s Prix Pictet.

The video below is very funny – but the reality of the message is enough to make you despair.  Enjoy – it only lasts 7 minutes.

Watching this sort of thing, it is easy to sit back smugly and blame incompetent, lying politicians for all the issues.  The reality is that the environmental movement, whose mission it is to encourage us all to move forward, has also spectacularly failed to fulfill its mission.  Last year I was in a climate change summit where, after 3 days or pretty ineffectual hot air, one delegate got up and said “We’ve been saying the same thing for 25 years.  Now it’s really urgent and we have to say it louder.” Does that make you laugh or make you cry?

I have been wondering how long it would take for the biggest environmental disaster in history to inspire the creation of some art. Digital artist Ubermorgen has created a series of works entitled Deep Horizon.

25 Million Liters

The images are created from photographs of the oil spill itself, digitally manipulated to create abstract images with various liquefied effects.  Some images (above and below) are part of the “Aerial Series” and, to my eye, manage to convey a sense of the overwhelming immensity of the disaster that is truly frightening.

17 Million Liters

The second “Liquid Series” plays with color and light. Here all evidence that this is a major industrial, environmental and human catastrophe disappear and we are left with bright, happy images that disguise the reality of what is going on. The disconnect between the feeling created by some of these images and the image titles could not be greater.

2 Million Liters

Other Art

Of course the disaster has inspired the more usual forms of artistic endeavours.

From political cartoons…….. (see here for more political cartoons)

Matt Davies political cartoon

To take-offs of what now seems like a laughably cynical BP “all green together” logo and corporate image.