Pictures of change
As an art form, photography is perceived to have the lowest barrier to entry. No major skills required—just a camera combined with a desire to point and shoot. Most of today’s cameras and software specialise in making what you click look good. But like any art form, from poetry to film, mastery and intentional utilisation of a medium only occurs when one begins to appreciate the details. Light, shadow, space, time, distance, motion, perspective, colour, texture, emotion, taste and even sound—are all integral elements that a photographer, vested in the medium, can encapsulate within each shot.
Understanding the medium requires an investment in skill, time and a lot of clicking. But what makes a photograph a work of art is when a photographer takes this skill and drives home a message. All good photographs tell stories, capture ideas and leave us with an uncanny feeling of missing something. As if, had we sat and stared at it for another five minutes, we would/could glean something more. A good photograph doesn’t just speak a thousand random words, but articulates an idea coherently, purposefully and powerfully. A photograph becomes art when it discredits the banality and predictability of everyday photography by adding an element of the unknown while simultaneously revealing a lot more. A good photograph can take the everyday and reveal a lifetime.
An aristocratic muse for long, photography gradually entered the Nepali conscious. Massive scale changes in consumer technology, the proliferation of the web and increasing perceptions of freedom have assisted and encouraged photographers. Within such a scene, photo.circle’s second book of photos, The Constant Change, is a sign of where photography in Nepal is going. Taking the works of 12 Nepali photographers, the book reveals as much about Nepal as it does about the photographers.
The photographs reveal eyes well attuned to the view finder and fingers well versed on when to click. The book provides each photographer with the luxury of a set of photographs through which to share an idea or a story. Some of them have done an exceptional job and their pictures captivate the viewer within that moment. That moment frozen into the photograph but hidden just beneath the surface is all that went before and all the possibilities it opens. Take Phurpu Tsering Gurung’s picture of Navin Chaudhary in his series, The Young Builders; what you see is Navin at that moment and in moments before and moments yet to come. You can get a glimpse into his past and his aspirations for the future; you can see what inspires him and what holds him back. This photograph is remarkable because it gives an inclination of the relationship between photographer and photographed, perceiver and perceived, at the same moment, conjoined.
As a picture, Phurpu and Navin hit a singular moment. However, the nine photos composed to make the series leaves much to be desired. It feels as if the story is only half told, the other photos fail to capture the same intensity as the photo with Navin. It feels as if the photographer draws back into his lens. There are others in the book guilty of stepping back and not divesting themselves from the story. Flipping through the book, one can only wish that Nepal on the Move (which doesn’t move much) and Serve Above Self (which glides above Mahabir Pun’s serving and self) were more attuned to a story or character. Most disappointing were Paint It Pink and Life Of Hardship, both of whose attempts at coherence breaks down because of the lack of a unifying thread.
That being said, some of the photo stories in the book are remarkable for their honesty and their engagement. Some of the more powerful ones include My Ma Is A Fighter, Being Nepali In The New Federal Democratic Republic Of Nepal, Sibu’s Fight and The New Silk Road. Each of these photo stories have captured a story strand and have made it their own. In their own way and built around their narratives, their pictures succeed in capturing something similar to what Phurpu captures in his picture of Navin Chaudhary. They do this consistently, doing justice to the story while appreciating the medium for what it can and cannot do. Their pictures speak individually, but collectively, combine a depth of vision with a range of emotions that constantly challenges your interpretation yet allows for multiple layers of understanding.
Photography is where science meets art. The photograph is where commercialisation meets art. There are many ways to take a picture and many ways to use a picture. The photos that make up The Constant Change were selected to tell a story. Most of them do with success and clarity. The product of the intensive 14-week Master Classes held by photo.circle, the book heralds the beginning of an innovative and exciting future for photography in Nepal. A must read for anyone who wants to attune themselves to the rapidly changing face of Nepali culture and society.
Posted on: 2011-11-12 09:17
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