A strong environmental theme runs through the work of French photographer Xavier Dumoulin as his images often portray nature in the process of being transformed by human habitation. If the “Incandescence” series illustrates this relationship through a striking visual contrast between nature at night and electrical lighting that signifies the fire of the modern world, seemingly consuming its surroundings, “Limits” takes a subtler approach yet it is just as haunting.
The photographs chronicle the ongoing transformation of natural landscapes and the rapid pace of degradation which leads to reaching a limit. A point of no return. Deforestation, desertification, rising sea levels, and more powerful hurricanes and storms are just a few of the dangers threatening not only priceless ecosystems, but human life on the planet as we know it. This series presents this fragile balance through the use of contrasting textures and colors, juxtaposing different elements in images that have an almost abstract quality to them. The surface of a calm sea and concrete, ice and stone cliffs, green forests and snow-covered trees. One photograph depicts the environmental theme in a more striking manner. Stones in different colors bear the marks of the receding tides, mirroring the bleak future of a world where the limits have been ignored: vibrant green moss turns into pale green and dark gray. Ultimately, Xavier Dumoulin succeeds in creating a series that is beyond aesthetically pleasing as it conveys what may be the most important message of our generation. Images courtesy of Xavier Dumoulin.