One photograph, one reality---many views

Sunil Sharma

“You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her. And she’s not deadly. She’s beautiful and she’s laughing.”

― Hélène Cixous

 

Maybe that was the idea.

She, the pictured one, looked at Medusa, the laughing one, and got infected by that manic laughter.

Outwardly demure, boiling inside, the hatted woman holds the gun, stands quietly behind the man lolling on the easy- chair, an enthroned king, legs crossed, face obscured by parasol---a study in power dynamics. She functions as the vassal, server of the man as the lord.

Her gaze seems determined. The grip is hard.

She gazes at the ax that fell. The sharp-edged weapon that cuts and kills with one swift movement.

Foregrounded.

The Jungle, in the background.

The fallen axe. The instrument of decapitation, beheading, clearing the wild growth, cutting and splintering the hardy wood.

One way of looking at the photograph, taken by the eminent artist-poet-philosopher from Lismore, SW, Australia, our very own Robert Maddox-Harle.

The Axe Just Fell by Robert Maddox-Harle

Maybe, there is another view.

"The point is not for women simply to take power out of men’s hands, since that wouldn’t change anything about the world. It’s a question precisely of destroying that notion of power." 

---Simone de Beauvoir

 

Maybe, the woman with the strong body-language and a set gaze knows her Simone de Beauvoir pretty well.

She has heard her speak in the solitude of the night, whispering pieces of motherly advice.

And decides to act discreetly.

Her aim?
To destroy the notion of power tilted in favour of men, or tilt the power balance in her direction.

Or invert the binary.

Rob Harle captures the moment at a point that can go in any direction. 

The axe had fallen.

There are two humans positioned in different poses---the jungle is the backdrop.

And, that is the beauty of this shot.

A shot that intrigues.

That fixes an ambiguity and freezes it for the gaze of the viewers of future or present.

An undecided moment, action, or, no action---merely a scene of hunting!

Well, that was the prompt this month.

We got some fine responses---kind of a dialogue with a powerful visual---in both prose and poetry.

What does the ace shutterbug say of his master creation?

Here, Rob, the photographer, in his words:

This “surreal” photo was taken with a film camera in time-lapse mode. My partner, Sandra and I, both added elements to the composition, it has certain connotations of a back-woods hillbilly couple. The setting was next to the cabin we built in isolated bushland some years ago.
Why is the male sitting, holding a feminine-like parasol? Why is the female standing, holding a rifle? The whole image challenges the dominant received “what’s normal” paradigm in our society. The axe symbolises castration, not of a male per se, but of the patriarchal dominance of women being treated like mindless, ineffectual accessories.

Well, well!

Another way of looking at the world.

The idea is to generate prompt responses to the prompt/s---a distinct genre. You read the given prompt, a clue, and build up your case on that.

Hope you will enjoy them in the special section---and content in the general section.

A mega event was staged in Maryland, USA---officially the Setu Lit Fest in collaboration with Poetry on the Patio---on August 16.

It was hosted by the senior artist-poet-editor Meenakshi Mohan.

A very successful event---the earlier Setu-fests were held in Delhi and Kolkata---a heady mix of music, words and colours, it celebrated life in its multiple forms flavours and expressions.

A separate report by Lopamudra Banerjee, a well-known author-poet, as a witness, is carried elsewhere in this edition. 

We remain grateful to her and the creatives who participated in that rich feast!

And to all the writers and readers.

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy life, as it comes up with new surprises!

Do write in, if in a mood. 

Warmly,

Sunil Sharma,

Managing Editor, Setu (English)

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Setu, August 2025