At first seemingly unconnected, this collection of photographs by Omar Harbi, Farida Bustani, and Mohamed Hakem were brought together to shed light on the interminable reliance on our planet’s natural resources.
In Harbi’s shot of the night shift at a gas station, we see the inactive attendant and are forced to wonder, is he waiting to help fuel a customer’s vehicle, or is he literally out of gas and in need of the tanker to replenish the gas station? Meanwhile, Farida Bustani’s photographs of water send a message laced with irony. Each shot is reflective of metals considered essential commodities, like gold, silver, and copper. But the viewer is asked to take a dip beneath the surface and consider, is it not the water itself that is Earth’s most valuable commodity?
Mohamed Hakem has captured a young boy rowing out onto the Nile, learning the fisherman’s trade as early as possible. His bright red rowboat signals alarm, and it is pertinent for both us and him to question for how long commercial fishing will be a viable and sustainable source of food and income. As the planet’s marine resources dwindle in the wake of overfishing and increased pollution, it is likely for not much longer.
Grouped together, these striking images represent an interconnected ness between our unyielding usage of Earth’s resources, and their undeniable scarcity.