Ong Xin Zhi 2F/06

This picture shows a chair built on concrete slabs, with green grass surrounding them. The chair is made of wood, and this can be seen as Man showing that he has mastery over Nature. Wood comes from Nature herself, and Man has used such resources from Nature to provide comfort for himself, in this case, a chair for Man to rest on. The concrete slabs show that Man has made a mark in Nature, firmly occupying the land where grass once used to grow. However, it can be seen that the area around the concrete slabs are sand, with patches of green and yellow grass. Although Nature cannot communicate with Man, she expresses her thoughts through such scenarios, where the grass starts to wither and die around the chair, which shows her displeasure towards such a structure. The area where plants once used to grow has since disappeared, due to Man’s intervention. But it might not be a total loss for Nature, as the chair can be a sign for people to stop their busy lives and take a moment to appreciate what Nature has given to us.

This picture depicts a scene of a tree grown in a circular area, right in the middle of a wooden path. This seems to show that Man is respecting what Nature gives us, the wood which is used to make the platform is now being honoured, with the tree which provides the wood given a solitary area for it to be noticed. The tree is singled out from the rest of the other plants such as the grass at the top of the photo. Dead leaves surround the tree, and even though they might not have any use to Man, they provide the tree with nutrients upon decomposition, which enhances the growth of the tree. This can also be seen as one of the many lessons Nature can teach Man, recycling rubbish and not wasting such substances, as they might be useful in more than one way. Nature has definitely provided us with much knowledge that cannot be learnt through textbooks, and all these can be incorporated into our everyday lives.

This photo shows a group of students sitting around a tree, with varieties of plants on the tree trunk. The number of students shown sitting here mean that Man showing some interest to find out more about Nature, experiencing the beauty of Nature themselves. However the students are facing away, their sights fixed on somewhere else other than the tree itself, showing that there is not really keen interest on the study of Nature, only carrying an ignorant attitude in viewing Nature. The number of students here certainly outnumber the tree, showing the total control Man has over Nature, without really understanding Nature herself. Man is just trying to leech from Nature, just like the parasitic plants shown in the photo. Nature is using herself to illustrate the present situation of what Man has been doing to Nature, and she needs Man to change his view of Nature. Man can actually help by removing the parasitic plants, thus ultimately helping himself with the survival of more trees to provide fresh oxygen.

Ong Xin Zhi 2F/06