The Disorder of Species


  • Photographer
    Thomas Stanworth
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Date of Photograph
    2008-2011
  • Technical Info
    Film

At the centre of the Varanasi’s unique atmosphere is the Hindu belief in reincarnation, binding all living things to the river Ganges. Animals and people appear almost on parity with each other and, with boundaries blurred, intriguing and touching relationships unfold. I returned to Varanasi in 2010 and 2011 to explore the ideas which took root two years prior, naming the project ‘The Disorder of Species’ in reference to Charles Darwin’s seminal book ‘The Origin of Species.’

Story

During a passing visit to Varanasi, India, in 2008, I could sense the paradox that seems to define this ancient city, but could not understand it. Heavily overcrowded and suffering considerable sanitation issues, there is nevertheless an overwhelming sense of peace that the mayhem of the riverfront and frenetic pace of urban life cannot upset.

It dawned on me that that this unique atmosphere might stem from the significance of the city to the dead, with far reaching consequences for the living. Hindus regard Varanasi as the holiest in India and those whose ashes are placed into the River Ganges are thought to have their sins forgiven and so are spared further reincarnation. However, a consequence of this is that animals and people physically intermingle throughout the city and, spiritually, many believe that animals are inhabited by less fortunate souls.

The blurring of the animal-human divide, which is normally so pronounced in the west, gives rise to a fundamentally altered human context. This in turn has allowed touching relationships to develop and for animals to behave in ways that are completely unexpected. The result is seamlessness from one species to another and from one life to the next.

I returned to Varanasi in 2010 and 2011 to explore these ideas and to try to capture something of the paradox: peace and tolerance borne of ‘chaos’ – the total break down of the compartmentalisation that is often seen as indicative of progress. I wanted to produce photographs that would provoke further consideration of the way we live, by placing humans in our wider animal context – a relationship that appears to be increasingly forgotten. Varanasi is remarkable in that this situation exists in an urban environment steeped in culture, history and subject to rapid economic change.

The project is named ‘The Disorder of Species’ in reference to Charles Darwin’s seminal book ‘The Origin of Species.’

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