The series by Australian photographer Paul Harmon is called Watermarks and shows the floodplains of New South Wales in their drought situation, in order to raise public awareness of this issue. The reason for this phenomenon lies in the massive demand for water imposed by the agricultural industry. The artist was initially fascinated by the beauty of these devastated landscapes, as he himself tells:
“The striking beauty I was capturing from the air stood out in contrast to the reality I saw on the ground: ugly truths of stolen land, stolen water. The self-serving politics of the right are gaining force… but it’s important that we make their ascendency a blip in history”.
Paul’s photographs were taken with a drone, to highlight the great contrast between the difficult environmental situation of the area and its spectacular visual rendering. The landscape becomes a palette of predominantly warm colors and, when there is water, is tinged with cold ones. The bad policy of this part of Australia is among the main responsible for the current situation; through beauty and art, we can approach the public to challenge themes, with the hope of finding new solutions for a better future.