April 18, 2009 – 12:09 pm
I have to say that this year, I was rather disappointed with the Deutsche Borse Prize final selection. Being one of the most prestigious prizes in photography, to me only one of the photographers presented left me with the feeling that the body work encompassed both visual beauty as well as being educational, which is what I believe photography should be about. Photographers are consistently trying to strive towards reflecting today’s culture/issues through their medium the best they can. It is ofcourse also used as a form of recording history; showing the way in which time passes and we as photographers record that history pausing it for a moment in time. Photography can also be aesthetically challenging, in that sometimes an image will show its value through the choice of light, colour and sometimes that is all that matters – the mood that is conveyed through that one image. All the photographers who were chosen have checked all these boxes, however the only one that stood out for me was Taryn Simon. Her work showed such a thorough body of research, material and was so current and unique – showing us glimpses of life in American culture, which remains hidden: thought about but unspoken. It really makes you question and rethink how much is it that we really know, and really don’t. It is worth looking through the series chosen for the show and here below is some information about the artist herself:
Taryn Simon (b. 1975 in New York) assumes for her project “An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar” the dual role of shrewd informant and collector of curiosities, compiling an inventory of what lies hidden and out-of-view within the borders of the United States. She examines a culture through careful documentation of diverse subjects from the realms of science, government, medicine, entertainment, nature, security and religion. Through text and image, the work underscores the complicated relationship between a photograph and its context. The visual is processed aesthetically and then re-defined by its text. Her sometimes ethereal, sometimes foreboding compositions, shot over a four year period, vary as much as her subject matter, which ranges from radioactive capsules at a nuclear waste storage facility to a black bear in hibernation. In examining that which is integral to America’s foundation, mythology and daily functioning, Simon creates a collection of works that reflect and reveal a national identity.
The international exhibition “Indian Art Forum” shows current positions of young second generation Asians, living in Germany, Great Britain, Egypt, Austria and the USA. They grew up with the rich background of both cultures, now using their creative potential in various artistic fields.
In 2006 Indian Vibes presented digital art created by British-Asians artists at Galerie station. 2007 Sandip Shah showed “Bombay Connection” at the b.k.i. So the idea came up to put together this show.
With the participation of Vinita Agarwal, Chiraag Bhakta, Karan Islania, Manoj Kallupurackal, Ashok Kapur, Sabahat Nawaz, Sandip Shah, Ruby Sircar, Shihab Vaippipadath.
Idris Khan, production still from "Lying in Wait" (2009). Film installation. Courtesy Victoria Miro Gallery, London
I have long been a fan of Idris Khan, and this exhibition which took place recently as part of ‘The Collection’ at Victoria Miro Gallery, was my first encounter with the artist’s use of film, otherwise well-known for his photography. The three screen installation, is a record of the same contemporary dance performed in a library, with each screen showing the dance from a different dimension all black and white. The film takes the dance piece and displaces it – by firstly setting it in a library, instead of a stage, and then removing all aspect of colour by keeping it pure in its form through the usage of black and white. The dance piece then gets further displaced, with repeated footage of the dance layering the dancer’s movements, slowing it down in time, placing it in a new time sequence. This to me, allows for a different sense of appreciation, a new outlook on the dance’s movement, and furthermore the close-up’s of her hands, the sounds of the movement of the fabric as she brushes her fingers against her body with every movement – all bring dance into a realm of pure form over content. I found this also resonant in his photography of the Qu’ran and Beethoven’s symphonies – and it is has been thoroughly exciting, for a lover of dance, to see dance in this way, especially directed by someone as talented, and discerning as Idris Khan.
Musicians Village I, Photograph copyrighted Vinita Agarwal
Rajasthan to me, is a musical delight. Music, and that too heartfelt and powerful, resonates in almost every region. Some seem to be deeply religious, some performance related, and others for the pure purpose of entertaining. There seems to be an inherent connection to music, with the people of Rajasthan; in their blood and in their soul. Different regions have different musical influences, linking directly to the need for expressing emotions and desires which for many years were surpressed due to rule and conquering over a vast period in history. Through my photographs I wanted to portray this character of music, which I encountered during a trip to a musicians village. The villagers expressed their need for proper resources to continue their legacy of singing and performing with instruments specific to the Rajasthani culture; a place where young talent can improve and learn what their forefathers sung and played for generations before them. Such establishments in such rural poor areas unfortunately do not exist making the future of such music slightly doubtful. The commercial aspect of performance, such as shows in hotels and concerts is still extremely popular however this remains conformed and restrictive. I feel that something needs to be done, to make sure that it continues, and that such powerful song and music, does not become transparent, like traces of dust in the wind of the desert. I hope that it continues to leave its mark. Please check my website for the full series.
March 26, 2009 – 12:14 pm
From the Blue Book Series, by Dayanita Singh
Whilst in India, I visited Dayanita Singh’s new exhibition titled the ‘Blue Book’. The photographs to me represented a silent beauty. Considering that so much of her previous work, has been of people, characters and families, this lacked the presence of those very people and thus in turn to me became silent. I did not feel however, as though something was missing per se, but rather that the quietude depicted in a country like India was evermore made real – in that perhaps it is not so ‘hustling and bustling’ but shares its moments of serenity like the rest of the world. Even if the country is asleep, light is awake, which comes with the sun and in this series seems to have caught those few moments of twilight, as it casts a glow of blue throughout the photographs. Definitely worth seeing.
Tamang Girlfriends, Yarsa Village, Nuwakot 1984
Kevin Bubriski’s work seems in some form to resonate with my own – it has often been described as portraying a sense of ‘dignity’ in the portraits of people whom he chooses to depict. Using large format, and in black and white he photographs people in their most natural of states, although distanced from the world, and slightly disturbed by the presence of the photographer, their essence and purity of state remains persistent. There has always been a danger with works which stem from anthropological point of view, or the idea of trying to show people ‘how they are’. Sometimes, such work can be flat, never completely objective and emotionless. This is a dilemma I find myself often facing; however I find that if a bond is developed through the moment in which the photograph is taken, the person’s character tends to reveal itself even more. Worth looking into is his now out of print book, on his portraits of Nepal available from Amazon.
