1. In the face of mankind...

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In the face of mankind...

In the painting you are looking at a man's face from a close distance, then you realize that his glasses show something else. This painting is supposed to reflect the present status of mankind. While one part of the population is dwelling in the cities the other part is living in the country side.

In the city you find tall buildings raising into the sky, sun showing up with full intensity and smoky clouds. The tall buildings are the signs of the so-called modern day development. The buildings are tearing into the sky to indicate the "anything is achievable" state of mind. The view is in such an angle that we can't see the ground to indicate the state of "forgetting who we are". The brightness of the sun and the cloud are signs of global warming and pollution respectively. In the city you can't see any people or trees around to indicate the falling levels of concern of people for one another and ever increasing rate of deforestation.

In the country side, there is a pleasant weather. The showering moonlight lits up the clouds and the sky. The clouds look quite clear even in the night. The house is a thatched one and is poorly lit. The person outside is in a joyous mood and trying to count the number of stars (usually dreaming). The tree is there to show how man can live in harmony with nature. But, one of the leaves is drooping - indicative of the fact of the increasing influence of the urban areas. The left part of the countryside is quite dark, it has been intentionally done to show that there is still lots to be explored. On the whole you see more things here in comparison to those in the city to show that there is lots to learn from here.

The size of the glass in which you see the city is smaller compared to the other. This has been done to show two things - first, the human brain, it is shrinking and is repulsive to outside thoughts and second, their present size, cities occupy only a small part of the land (but they do play a major role in deciding the future). The painting shows a leg supporting the glass in which you see the country side. It indicates that these villages are not able to survive on their own, they need help, they are being demolished by the cities.

--buddi