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Your photographs reveal the complexities of our behaviors towards the water while reminding us of the urgent need to work towards a harmonious coexistence between nature and humankind. In previous interviews, you have said that, with ‘Water’, you hope to make people sensitive to the issue and mobilize themselves to protect this resource. What do you personally take away from this project?
That was a bit optimistic to hope for. Maybe ten years ago, that idealism made sense. Last year, I saw a movie called ‘Triangle of Sadness’, and towards the end of the film, the social paradigm of the characters stranded on the tropical island shifted comically and tragically in favor of people who hadn’t been empowered in the social structure that led to their boat disaster. When people have the luxury of ignoring the incredible scale of their selfishness, materialism, and apathy, they tend to make some pretty absurd and short-sighted choices. I kind of view the idea of photography mobilizing people to protect this resource, and therefore themselves, kind of like that film’s plot twist.
Water is my subject, sure, but it’s actually the reflector I use to speak about absurd and surreal behaviors. My job isn’t shining a light or bearing witness or any other trite platitudes. It’s not about protecting a resource but ensuring our survival. What I get out of the project is purpose. I take all that anger and sadness at the same things we all witness and do something about it. I’m extraordinarily lucky that what I do reflects my convictions of humanism, equality, and equanimity, of a belief in leaving things better than they were left to us. The act of compassionate observation and humanistic documentation is my way of commenting upon this great tragedy we are all living through and showing that these things are worth fighting for.
Apart from photography, what other sources of happiness do you find?
Dialing into someone’s work process: impassioned craftsmanship. Cinema—Paul Thomas Anderson, Lynne Ramsay, Denis Villeneuve, Claire Denis. Cinematography—Roger Deakins, Emmanuel Lubezki, Greg Fraser, Natasha Braier. Road trips and long train journeys. The coasts of Italy. Byrne v Fischer (New York City, 1956) or Karpov v Kasparov (Moscow, 1985). The mountains of the Midwest. Learning a new way to do something better. Aviation, philosophy. Books, books, books. Late-night dance floors. Music, wine.
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