Art that stimulates the imagination is magnificent, and leaves an impression that can last a lifetime. Since childhood, the family visits to galleries of exhibits of paintings and sculptures were a way for me to understand the world, and also to find my place in it, a not immediately evident assignment for a serious and solitary child. The discovery of nature in Algeria through its talented Berber photographers has reawakened my appreciation for art as an intellectual, cultural and spiritual guide. The photography of Lotfi Bouslah, known under the artist name of Kurt Lolo, has a way to communicate his artistic sensibilities that touch the heart and soul. His photo " View of the mountains of Babor ", made at Ferdjoune, on the heights of Souk - El - Tenine, Bejaia, has an enchanting power. This photo of the mountains makes an appeal, and the content of that appeal fascinates me. The photo has a dramatic beauty, that evokes the ambiance of a theatrical piece, with the pale blue sky and the white clouds that hover like a mysterious haze in the background, that add a calming touch to the mountains and its immutable rocks in the foreground. The colours of the photo with its contrasts between the blue of the sky, the white of the clouds and the brown nuances of the dark rocky mountains underlines the importance of the mountains and its focus as the protagonist. This photo of Kurt Lolo has a quality beyond the aesthetic, it is not just a resilient mountain, immutable, it is a spirit that communicates its wisdom in a very convincing manner. This photo reminds me of the majestic paintings of the XIXth century, the period of the movement of romanticism in art, that was a response to the discovery and exploration of nature on behalf of the empires of the world, and this at the moment of the industrial revolution, that simultaneously threatened to invade and contaminate this nature. Romanticism, as was evident through he artists of the Hudson River School in upstate New York, and the paintings of Thomas Cole ( 1801 - 1848 ), considered the founder of the school, had a rather clear insight as to the future of nature if man and his avaricious ideas continued to steal the treasures and resources of nature without moral considerations, and today we are living the horrors of this limitless selfishness. The mountains are a witness to this destruction, and have been able to avoid the poisons of the modern world and its madness, but there is already evidence that even the most remote mountains are beginning to suffer the negative effects of deforestation, of the lack of water for their rivers, of the pollution of their air, of the diseases of their plants and animals. The photo of the Babors of Kurt Lolo reminds me of the spirit and dramatic energy of the 1827 painting of Thomas Cole, " The last of the Mohican's ". The mountains are making an appeal right now, and the photo of Kurt Lolo inspires a profound respect for their immortal spirits, that are looking to find again peace, hope, courage, energy, and the goal of a healthy and dignified life. The Berber spirit and heart has a love for the mountains, which is not surprising, considering the beauty of the Babor and Djurdjura mountains. Romanticism right now is making a comeback in the arts, that can be explained by the mortal danger in which nature and man, who cannot survive without nature, find themselves, in spite of the revolutionary exploits in technology. Art, like the art of photography, is a way to communicate the urgent necessity to take care of and heal nature. My photographer friends in Kabylie know how to inspire this message through their nature photos of Algeria, that has an ecosystem that is as unique as it is magnificent. I have dedicated my fair share of articles in my books to the beauty of the mountains of Northern Algeria. This beautiful dramatic photograph of Kurt Lolo is a worthy appeal on the part of the mountains to which the insightful photographer as always leaves his very personal signature. It is his talent to create a universal image that is also very intimate, like he succeeds in doing with this moving photo of a splendid view of the Babor mountains. This photo is profoundly romantic in its passionate view points, and celebrates the unique and beautiful nature of Algeria, this vast and complex country that plays a key role in my love story with nature and its importance. Like no other region or country in the world, the nature of Algeria allows me to express completely my exploits and dreams as a writer and poet. I owe her my heart and soul, rejuvenated and liberated, thanks to the generous gift of its Berber nature photographers, like Kurt Lolo of Lolo Pics, who possesses a conscientious creative spirit, that is enthusiastic and attentive. The appeal of his intriguing photo, " View of the mountains of Babor ", taken on the heights of Souk - El - Tenine , Bejaia, says as much.
Trudi Ralston
The research on the Hudson River School of upstate New York, and its founder Thomas Cole, courtesy of Wikipedia, as is the information on the climatological effects of pollution in the mountains, see specifically the article of Andrea Thompson of March 8th, 2007 in LiveScience, Planet Earth : " Air Pollution Cuts Rainfall Over Mountains. "
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