Negative Spaces

Artist: Zeynep Koksal

Perhaps the greatest concern of all environmental issues is our blindness to the causes. Although there is a great urge to raise awareness for saving the environment, even our smallest actions such as not turning off the lights that harm the climate remains unchanged as they have become a part of our routine in life. While living our busy lives, the causes of environmental issues that are present in our homes, our streets, our cities remain to be unrecognised.

These series of photographs capturing the mundane street lives in various cities, juxtapose between the idea of beauty and crudeness. Although the black and white photographs seem to be aesthetically pleasing at first sight, once concentrated, one can identify small or large elements within the frame that harm the environment. There is a deliberate urge to lead to viewers to focus on plastic waste, harmful human actions and other sources by removing them from the photograph and so placing them within the negative space.

Simply, this series of photographs carry the aim to raise awareness the presence of harmful actions and elements to the environment within the most pleasing corners of our lives.