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Gideon Mendel’s powerful photos taken after floods – The world under water

Last updated: June 18, 2022
3 minutes of reading
Photography
Activist art, Art & climate change, Art & Nature, Art & Portraits, Art about global warming, Art in Bangkok, Art in Bangladesh, Art in India, Art in Kashmir, Art in Nigeria, Art in Pakistan, Art in South Carolina, Art in Thailand, Artworks & exhibitions in USA, Documentary, Gideon Mendel, Water art
Gideon Mendel - Chinta and Samundri Davi, Salempur village near Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India, August 2007
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Chinta and Samundri Davi, Salempur village near Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India, August 2007
  • 1 What is Drowning World all about?
  • 2 What inspired the project
  • 3 Video: Gideon Mendel speaks about Drowning World
  • 4 What the images show
  • 5 His process
  • 6 What all victims of floods have in common
  • 7 Why does this project matter?

What is Drowning World all about?

For a couple of years now, photographer Gideon Mendel has taken it upon himself to show the world what it is like in other parts of the world where the climate is very unfavorable to them. Mendel has not minded the dangers and lengths he has to go through to make sure he delivers the pictures in the clearest form possible.

Gideon Mendel - Ripon Islam and Tarajul Islam, Chandanbaisa village, Bogra District, Bangladesh, 13 September 2015
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Ripon Islam and Tarajul Islam, Chandanbaisa village, Bogra District, Bangladesh, 13 September 2015

In his most recent project, Drowning World, he takes us around the world through his camera lenses and shows us calm portraits of flood victims in areas we would not expect. Drowning World shows the real picture of climate change around the world, the real picture behind the statistics and with real people the floods affect directly.

Gideon Mendel - Johora, Chandanbaisa village, Bogra District, Bangladesh, 15 September 2015
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Johora, Chandanbaisa village, Bogra District, Bangladesh, 15 September 2015

What inspired the project

The project is inspired by the biblical symbolism of the flood and Mendel shows people in environments submerged by water. In all of the photos, the victims often appear still, dormant, numb, stoic or paralyzed in various cases. According to Mendel, the subjects usually tell him they are glad he is there as a witness to document their situation.

Gideon Mendel - Francisco Lopes da Silva Taquari District Rio Branco Brazil March 2015
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Francisco Lopes da Silva, Taquari District, Rio Branco, Brazil, March 2015
Gideon Mendel - João Pereira de Araújo Taquari District Rio Branco Brazil March 2015
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – João Pereira de Araújo, Taquari District, Rio Branco, Brazil, March 2015
Gideon Mendel - José Alcides dos Santos and Erenilce Lima e Silva, Rio Branco, Brazil, 10 March 2015
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – José Alcides dos Santos and Erenilce Lima e Silva, Rio Branco, Brazil, 10 March 2015

Video: Gideon Mendel speaks about Drowning World

Drowning World - PROJECT M special with Gideon Mendel

4 min 12 sec

What the images show

The images show how vulnerable and fragile some people are in certain parts of the world. This only goes a long way to prove a shared vulnerability among races, cultures and tribes across the world. Although most of the images are taken just moments after he has met the subjects, they still show a kind of intimacy between the photographer and the victims.

He always works with an assistant who helps him communicate with the victims and carry his equipment. The unique part of his work is that he uses a camera that makes use of films instead of using a digital camera. He thinks that this way is magical to the results he achieves with the images he captures.

Gideon Mendel - Sakorn Ponsiri Chumchon Ruamjai Community, Bangkok Thailand November 2011
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Sakorn Ponsiri Chumchon, Ruamjai Community, Bangkok, Thailand, November 2011
Gideon Mendel - Shopkeeper Suparat Taddee, Chumchon Ruamjai Community, Bangkok, Thailand, November 2011
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Shopkeeper Suparat Taddee, Chumchon Ruamjai Community, Bangkok, Thailand, November 2011
Gideon Mendel - Wilaiporn Hongjantuek Amornchai Bangkok Thailand November 2011
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Wilaiporn Hongjantuek Amornchai, Bangkok, Thailand, November 2011

His process

Mendel visited flood zones in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Thailand, Nigeria, Germany and India. He usually selects the background and the location and takes great pride in actually constructing the photos, not just shooting what’s in front of him. He explains1:

I am not coming to those people at home and taking their pictures as they are. In a certain way, what I’ve been trying to do is produce a consistent image from place to place, with a familiarity in it, a repetition of the gaze. I am not just making evidence, I am seeking to make pictures that speak through being aesthetically powerful and even a disconcerting beauty amidst the horror.

Gideon Mendel - JB Singh, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, 24 September 2014
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – JB Singh, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, 24 September 2014
Gideon Mendel - Mohammad Younus Khosa, Raj Bagh, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014 Launch Gallery
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Mohammad Younus Khosa, Raj Bagh, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014
Gideon Mendel - Florence Abraham Igbogene Bayelsa State Nigeria November 2012
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Florence Abraham Igbogene, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, November 2012

What all victims of floods have in common

In most of the areas Mendel has taken pictures in, the victim all had one common angst: they were not pre-warned about the floods. Most of them had less than 20 minutes to run from their homes when the floods started, making them lose valuable properties. They were all angry with their governments.

Gideon Mendel - Ahmed Khairpur Nathan Shah
 Sindh Pakistan September 2010
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Ahmed Khairpur Nathan Shah
, Sindh, Pakistan, September 2010
Gideon Mendel - Shirley Armitage Moorland Village Somerset UK February 2014
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Shirley Armitage, Moorland Village, Somerset, UK, February 2014
Gideon Mendel - David Morris Andrews South Carolina USA October 2015
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – David Morris Andrews, South Carolina, USA, October 2015

Why does this project matter?

The significance of Mendel’s work with the portraits of the flood victims is to sensitize us towards the plight of the victims. He asks us to put ourselves in their shoes and realize that it could have been us instead of them. Mendel believes climate change is a massive problem around the world, to children and upcoming generations.

As much as there is little control over the climate, it is still important that people get warned about upcoming floods. There are many flood disasters in different parts of the world and Mendel’s work only makes for a tiny percentage.

Gideon Mendel - Ahmad Wani Mushaq and Shafeeqa Mushtaq, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Ahmad Wani Mushaq and Shafeeqa Mushtaq, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014
Gideon Mendel - Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, Raj Bagh, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, Raj Bagh, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014
Gideon Mendel - Jameela Khan, Bemina, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Jameela Khan, Bemina, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014
Gideon Mendel - Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014
Gideon Mendel – Drowning World – Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014

 

All images by Gideon Mendel unless otherwise noted.

Footnotes

  1. https://artebrasileiros.com.br/arte/fotografia/gideon-mendel-drowning-world/
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