The Israeli photographer Daniel Tchetchik divides his time between his artistic practice and the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, which was founded in 1918 and is the oldest still in print in the country. Tchetchik serves both as photographer and Editor in Chief of the newspaper’s renowned photography blog.
Tchetchik’s personal works comment on the human condition by investigating surrounding environments and capturing a view into the changing landscape and people.
In the series Sunburn, Tchetchik explores the detrimental effects of the rapidly changing climate on the world and nature. He captures a contemporary visual description, seeking a view into the effects of climate change on the human condition in 2014, a time when the Gaza war was raging and rockets were flying through the sky.
Tchetchik’s powerful images in Sunburn portray a distinct focus on global warming coupled with the war. The artist’s powerful images are filled with highly charged undertones of the tense socio-political environment.
The works captured in this series exude a sense of urgency, encapsulated in Sunburn #2 – the single poignant image of the burning, smoking, flaming car abandoned on the road side, with the hazes of smoke climbing up to the skyline and damaging the surrounding natural environment. The rising smoke and still clouds merge, becoming one entity, highlighting the damage created by the polluting vehicle onto its surroundings.
The power of Tchetchik’s works comes from his ability to juxtapose a
still image with a sense of movement. In his latest series photographed primarily in Israel, he captures moments immersed in darkness and speckled with flickers of light. In the black and white series, Black Dust, the seemingly mundane scenes are transformed into enticing photos that are part of a larger image and message that the artist communicates through his lens.
The deep darkness and grained visuals make the works in the series, almost other-worldly. The trees and shrubbery emerge from the darkness in Black Dust #11 emphasizing the power of nature, whilst the seemingly neon plants situated against the night’s sky awaken the viewer with their shocking brightness. The works alludes to Tchetchik’s on-going relationship with climate change and its impeding effect on the environment around.
Tchetchik’s photographic style presents a contemporary perspective by questioning the role of photography today. Each of the artist’s series carries a distinct focus, whist always interlacing the effects of climate change, telling a story communicated through the visual language of photography.
