The Legend of the Flying Elephants

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“In the beginning of time, the skies were filled with flying elephants. Too heavy for their wings, they sometimes crashed through the trees and frightened other animals.

All the flying grey elephants migrated to the source of the Ganges. They agreed to renounce their wings and settle on the earth.When they molted, millions of wings fell to the earth, the snow covered them, and the Himalayas were born….”

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p>I went to an amazing exhibit of sepia photographs earlier today at a “nomadic museum,” four stories high and made of cargo containers, on the Santa Monica pier. The exhibit was titled “Ashes and Snow,” and will be in Los Angeles through May:

Gregory Colbert’s Ashes and Snow is an ongoing project that weaves together photographic works, three 35mm films, art installations and a novel in letters. With profound patience and an unswerving commitment to the expressive and artistic nature of animals, he has captured extraordinary, unscripted interactions between humans and animals.

His 21st-century bestiary includes more than 40 totemic species from around the world. Since he began creating his singular work of Ashes and Snow, Colbert had mounted more than 30 expeditions to locations such as India, Egypt, Burma, Tonga, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Kenya, Antarctica, the Azores and Borneo…

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p> The most amazing thing about these photographs is that you can’t believe that they are actually real. They must be collages or paintings you think. How can a boy cuddle with a Cheetah like that? Every single picture is a real image. There are three films playing through the exhibit which finally convince you that these images were actually taken from a live action film that plays like a dream sequence. It shows you a land where humans and animals live as companions and speak the same language.

Colbert, who calls animals “nature’s living masterpieces,” chose to film animals in their native habitats in an effort to be true to each animal’s voice. The film can be viewed as a work of art as well as a poetic field study.

Take a few minutes to flip through the portfolio. See it in person if you get a chance. It’s worth it.

16 thoughts on “The Legend of the Flying Elephants”

  1. See also Amardeep’s snarfisking:

    If you watch the video loop at the back of the gallery for a bit, a male voice starts reciting this mantra while a desi chick dances in the mud with a baby elephant: “Flesh to fire, fire to blood, blood to bone, bone to marrow, marrow to ashes, ashes to… snow.” To which my response is: “Cow to beef, beef to burger, burger to mouth, mouth to stomach, stomach to shit, shit to… snow.”

  2. neha – what do you think about colbert? ten hugs says – he’s ours. another ten says – he’s come through winnipeg and supped at kensington.

  3. More importantly, I was deeply annoyed by the strong undercurrent of exoticism and artificiality in the exhibit. Ashes and Snow is the Discovery Channel with one addition: exotic-looking Indian and Asian children in flowy robes are dancing and swimming placidly with the exotic (and often dangerou) animals. They don’t speak, they don’t smile, and they don’t complain. They are, in a sense, analogous to the animals — not just silent “native others,” but, in the logic of this exhibit, animals themselves.

    I agree with these sentiments of Amardeep’s but I never allowed myself to beleive any of this was “real” and so I didn’t get annoyed. The artist never intended to portray reality. He has created a fictional world by using only subjects that are real. That is what allows me to not care about the exotification. I just like thinking “what if?” which seems to be what he wants.

  5. Abhi: I understand what you are saying, but lets say that the photographer had used white children in his photographs. Would they make the “what if” less considerable than would the exoticized Asian children?

  7. Abhi: I understand what you are saying, but lets say that the photographer had used white children in his photographs. Would they make the “what if” less considerable than would the exoticized Asian children?

    I personally think it was more animal driven. The countries where these animals are found don’t have many white children.

  8. Ashes and Snow was phenomenal. It was in NY last summer and my favorites were the pictures of the children and the animals. It is truly a moving and stunning collection and one that leaves you with goosebumps and makes you wonder if it’s simply stimulated and unreal.

  10. You missed out something equally important about the exhibition.

    Its architecturally a very novel idea. Shigeru Ban, the architect is one of the new creed of great architects to come out of Japan, and his visualization and design of this container museum is equally if not more interesting than the show itself.

    When the show was in NYC, I know for sure that a lot of people went to see the museum for its architecture innovativeness as for its show.

    Personally i didnt think the show was all that great.

  11. he has captured extraordinary, unscripted interactions between humans and animals

    unscripted interactions….?

  13. unscripted interactions….?

    Yeah, that’s the one thing I didn’t understand from the website. The exhibit makes it clear that these scenes were scripted because it shows you the movie they were taken from.

  15. I just saw the show 2 days ago. At first, I was moved by teh photographs – i thought they were more compelling htan the film. and also i thought hte architecture was very interesting and challenged traditional museum structures.

    Now, about the exhibit… I felt like I was in this “mocing exhibit” b/c when you goto the one in santa monica – the afternoons are crowded – so you’re in a sense moving withthe “herd” to go theought the path laid out before you. I am trying to understand the artists’ point in gicing voice to animals….but I found it probelmmatic when he made the humans (who are also animals by the way, but of a different species) passive and non-engaging. Their eyes were closed, they didn’t move, well – except for the swimmers. he chose specific MAMMALS that are less prone to inflicting harm on people perhaps? (I doube the crocodile or alligator would have hugged that little children sitting next to it). But i have to wonder the histories of these animals…such as the leopard, or chettach, or whatever the large predator cat was….. were they trained animals? were they part of zoos? were they domesticated?

    Also, make note – the people he used were indeed actors.

    While Colbert’s (the artist) attempts to unify a sense of harmony between different species of animals and humans (which i am not opposed to), he makes a very idealized assertion of this reality without delving into the realities of their worlds. (For example, the not so peaceful behaviour of predatory animals, including humans.) He even choosing to take humanity’s “vulnerable” indivduals – women, children, and the old to be his actors.

    I would have like to see the actor himself in these images, literally. I felt that there was a good deal of exotification in the exhibit and gazing. Maybe there are less or no whites in the countries where he shot, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that he dominates teh images with a certain gaze over smaller, thinner, people of color (indigenous tribes), and brown-skinned people who are not interacting with the animals.

    then, the most active human bodies are that of what appears to be white bodies in the water…of a male ..and then later joined by a female… they are underwater for a long time and move in a motion that implies sex. the only reference to sex that i can find. i’m still thinking about these images, but it’s worth it to note.

    I was totally awed by how the exhibit could grab the attention of at least 200 people at once, and sustain it for a whole 60 minutes. that was amazing (i actually fell asleep a couple times during this)….the film was a bit drawn out. but amybe that was teh point?

  16. I so wish I could see the show. I’m absolutely amazed at the beauty; the sheer beauty of these images. I saw them on the news over here in Portugal and I just cried because I could not believe my eyes were seeing such beauty in such a gracious and poetic manner. I have been so moved by these images; beyond words. They make me feel there is too much beauty in the world; and send my imagination to a world of uncorrupted love in these interactions between us humans and these majestic animals. I’m so thankful I have seen these images, even if only on TV and on the internet.