Vanessa Soh 2D/06

The image above depicts a large man-made drain seeming to reach out endlessly, distinctly cutting across the grass field. Sunlight spills over the topmost part of the image, contrasting deeply with the rest of the image below-the tree seems to shelter this part of the grass field. This shows how much the tree is in control of its surroundings, dominating even the man-made drain.

The man-made drain can be seen as a stranger to the grass field, intervening with the growth of the grass and trees. It is a defect of nature’s beauty, an attempt by man to disrupt nature, as it is clearly shown that the drain does not fit into the picture with nature. These drains are common in Singapore, reflecting the great extent to which nature is being disrupted.

The man-made drain is a product of industrialization, and it can be inferred that man gives little thought to what happens to nature, just as long as they are able to exploit it.




The above image depicts a telephone booth on a concrete platform. In the background, we can see a streetlamp and a sprawling grass field, coupled with trees towering over a concrete walk path and man-made drains.

The telephone booth and streetlamp look somewhat out of place in this natural setting and they represent industrialization, intruding on the tranquility and beauty nature offers. The concrete walk path and drains interrupts the grasses’ growth, indicating that man is indeed intervening with nature’s cycle. The trees towering over these man-made objects accentuates on the superiority nature possesses over man, and at the same time, reminding us that man can never overpower what nature produces.

With the major clash of urban developments (telephone booth, streetlamp) and nature in the image above, we can note that nature is no longer regarded highly in urban society today. Nature’s importance is gradually slipping. However, man is oblivious to the fact that nature’s “wellbeing” will be advantageous to him.




The above image depicts a swan and a rubbish bin. As usual, the background is dominated with trees and grasses. Nametags which inform the public of the various species of the plant are noticeable in the background too. These nametags allow us to identify the plant species, reflecting how nature can be a natural classroom which inspires learning.

The rubbish bin is proof of man’s attempt to conserve the environment, how man is willing to use this method to bridge the gap between nature and him. Contrasting with the first two images, this image shows how man once again starts to hold nature in high regard, and attempts to repair the damages done by industrialization. The swan is a part of nature, and it is able to adapt to an environment almost destroyed completely by industrialization. This shows that there is a possibility of man and nature coexisting after all. Here, man is not attempting to exploit nature, but instead, plans to restore nature again.


Vanessa Soh
2D/06