Jimmy Nelson: Before they pass away
The Empty Quarter gallery, in partnership with Aramex Art exhibits works by acclaimed photographer, Jimmy Nelson, a selection of photographs documenting some of the most fantastic indigenous cultures left on the planet today.
Between 2010 & 2014 Jimmy Nelson travelled the world to document some of the most fantastic indigenous cultures left on the planet today. He had come to realize that from a life spent travelling that his camera was the perfect tool for making contact and building intimate and unique friendships. Relationships with hitherto unknown and understood communities in some of the farthest reaches of the planet. He wanted to discover how the rest of the world is threatening to change their way of life forever. But most importantly, he wanted to create an ambitious aesthetic photographic document that would stand the test of time.
Jimmy’s projects title ‘Before they pass away’ is intended to be a controversial catalyst for further discussion as to the authenticity of these fragile disappearing cultures. Jimmy Nelson is not a scientist but rather a self-trained ethnologist and visual anthropologist using his curiosity to find answers.
He wants to tell stories that leave room for the recipient’s questions. With the project Jimmy Nelson wanted to create awareness for the fascinating variety of the culture- and history charged symbols of the people, reflecting their rites, customs and traditions.
Jimmy Nelson merely shows us the tip of the iceberg with the pictures that he has made. He consciously chose just thirty-five of the threatened tribes and cultures, based on their geographical and traditional extravagance, but above all for their illuminating beauty. What drives him is not compassion for poverty or illness, but passion for painted bodies: mirrors of pure souls, messages in flesh, worn as a second skin. His fascination for the rapidly vanishing harmony between man and nature takes us to places we thought had disappeared long ago. He asks us, will we sever the fragile umbilical cord to our extraordinary primeval past? Thus potentially finding ourselves alone without a cultural purpose. It is Jimmy’s hope, we will make a different choice and we will all gather around the digital fireplace of humanity and continue for generations to tell the stories from our great grand parents and their importance even in the 21st Century.
