We live in an age in which technology brings news to us in an instant, live images flood in from so many points of view – a satellite, a helicopter and on the ground from the mobile device of someone fleeing for his or her life. Watching the footage of last week’s horrific earthquake and tsunami in Japan, I can’t help but think about my own ability to survive in an imminent situation. And as the heartbreaking aftermath of this disaster unfolds, it is all too clear that there is something very peculiar about our relationship with nature and the future.
     Steven Brahms’ ongoing investigation Survival Project prods at the very basic idea that sits in our minds – we cannot control mother nature. In carefully composed scenarios, Brahms’ images play out themes of doom and paranoia light-heartedly as if realizing his boyhood Lord of the Flies fantasies. The Evasion Series repeats the action of long-haired Asian men running in various terrains. Though we can not be too sure of what these men are running from, the sense of urgency becomes real as images from last week’s disaster will stay in our minds forever.

The Survival Project opens at 3rd Ward Gallery in Brooklyn on March 18th. Brahms’ work can be seen at: www.stevenbrahms.com

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Photographer Bharat Sikka finds the still moments in the storm where new dust is just beginning to settle over old dust. Hardly recognizable as India — without the celebrated warm saturated hues of oranges, magentas and ambers — Sikka shows this side of the world in the bluest of grays. In his previous PLANET contribution, Seeing in Between, he gave us slowly calculated views of the changing physical terrain of India that comes along with economic development. Deeper down this road, Matter is articulated in somewhat quicker gestures as a record of calm in chaos. From an ominous still life of crinkled plastic to a portrait of a face silhouetted by hair, we see that Sikka’s connection to the looming changes is emotional. Matter will be up until March 19th at Nature Morte Gallery in Berlin. Sikka will continue to add images to the site mattershow.com throughout the year.