This N That: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Photo Courtesy of BBC News

By Emilia Pesantes 

Is the picture the whole story?

In the southern city of Hyderabad, a five-year old girl, Divya Lakshman was photographed peeking into a classroom from the outside. The little girl pictured holds an empty pot and dons a colorful dress that further sets her apart from the uniformed school children just a few feet away. The circulation of this photo garnered many responses, making the little girl into somewhat of a neighborhood celebrity. But, for all the wrong reasons. The uproar that followed the spreading of this photo led to a favorable outcome – the girl was enrolled in school, which is exactly what we imagine she is longing for, and maybe even being forcefully and unjustly kept from.

 The image isn’t the whole story. The girl’s father and brothers, who have jobs as sweepers and rag pickers, work to send two other sisters to school and always intended on doing the same for Divya when she turned six. That, however, isn’t something portrayed in the image. It can’t be. A photo is a piece of a whole, stripped of context that may give information that goes beyond what the eye can see. The problem with this is the potentially false framing of certain situations, much like we see here with the way Divya is being portrayed as an “orphan,” as her father said.

 While the result of the public’s rage toward this image portraying a seemingly sad scene was to get the girl in school, the way the image reflects on Divya’s guardians was the cost. This begs the question: Is it the responsibility of the photographer or the spectator to seek the context that provides a fuller, and potentially more truthful, image? Or does the end justify the means? For Divya’s parents, the image was unfair and lacks the information necessary to talk about bigger issues that the community is experiencing, such as the lack of government-provided resources that would aid the many people living in the slums. One thing’s for sure, the photo of Divya became so popular that perhaps these conversations wouldn’t be happening otherwise.

Photo Courtesy of Sackler P.A.I.N.

 Nan Goldin Takes Anti-Sackler Group, P.A.I.N., to London

 Launching in 2018, P.A.I.N., which stands for Prescription Addiction Intervention Now, has protested outside of significant cultural institutions all around the world. Led by well-known artist and photographer Nan Goldin, the anti-Sackler group recently took their activists’ efforts to London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. The institution, like many others such as The Louvre and The Met, has centers/whole wings dedicated to the Sackler family, which makes it the perfect target for P.A.I.N. All the museum’s spokesperson had to say about the event is that they fully support the public’s right to protest peacefully outside their doors.

 The Sackler family, which has been the center of controversy for quite some time now, after an exposé launched in The New Yorker and other news sites, has failed to comment on the event and continues its work – business as usual. Purdue Pharma, which is the Sackler’s company, is largely responsible for the opioid epidemic in the last decade, thus, provoking images of P.A.I.N.’s protest that demonstrate their one and only request: “Abandon the Sackler Name”.

Photo Courtesy of Luca Bruno/AP

 Images of Venice Flood Depicts a City Underwater – A Playground for Tourists and A Nightmare for Locals

 Venice’s recent flooding problem is yet another indication of climate change. Having experienced its worst flooding issues in the last couple of decades, the people of Venice demand that action be taken to combat climate change. The measures, having been denied by the regional council, are just the tip of the iceberg for what the city is currently dealing with. Homes, historical sites and businesses all over the city filled with water, proving that no place is immune to the brutal effects of global warming. Catwalks are placed all across used-to-be walkways in an effort to provide space for people to walk over the water as opposed to through, which many have also taken to doing.

 The city, which welcomes millions of tourists a year, has just as many visitors as it did in years prior. The flood, and the damage it’s caused thus far, can be viewed around the world through countless news outlets and social media sites. But, while tourists get to say they were present for a historic event and almost-enjoy the unexpected happenings, locals are outraged and left to deal with its effects. Images portray a city struggling to continue through day-to-day activities and leave viewers to wonder how they might go about recovery. Venice, having experienced similar issues before, can surely recover but for how much longer?

 Aside from threatening its long-standing history, the flood threatens the city’s very livelihood. But another problem persists through these images as well. The circulation of photos such as selfies and other tourist photos, while depicting the awful events, also make a joke of such a serious situation. When is enough enough?

Photo Courtesy of The University of Arizona

 University of Arizona Shares New Images of Mars

 The University of Arizona recently shared new images of Mars with NASA which were shot with their most powerful technology yet. HiRISE, otherwise known as High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, is the most sophisticated and powerful camera that has ever been sent to Mars and the photos it captured prove exactly that.

 For over a decade, NASA has used photo technology created to help illustrate what the far-off planet looks like. The latest photos express something akin to abstract art than anything else. The landscape most imagine when they think of Mars might be dry and red. The photos released, however, demonstrate metallic-like surfaces with textures smooth and not. The colors range from dusty reds to icy silvers, which indicate shifts in atmospheres such as water/ice deposits that were previously undiscovered. What these images offer are not only visuals of something that seemed unreachable for so long, but also continues to aid man’s pursuit of spaces that have the potential to sustain life beyond Earth.

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