Gai Shtienberg

Hard Land | "Between the natural borders of the Mediterranean sea and the Jordan river the distance is not far. Between the sea and the River artificial lines of green and purple. Red line crosses the valley, pale blue seam in to the mountains. A big wall of greyish concrete and a ruined landscape agonizingly sighs..."

Inspired by what Israeli poet Yaakov Rotblit wrote in his song "The Big story" (Hasipur Hagadol) Hard Land collects together 5 years worth of exploration within the Israeli landscape, Bounded by the Jordan river on the east and the Mediterranean Sea on the west.

Equipped with a medium format 6X7 analog camera I've traveled to marginal areas of the country aiming to capture the influences of the relationship between humans and their surroundings and those among themselves. The impact of these relationships is what created the unique scarred landscape of this land.