Putting their best frame forward

Displaying what they have learnt during their course, students of the Creative Photography Programme at Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication (SACAC) put up their photographs on display at the week-long ‘Graduate Photography Exhibition – 2014’ which began on October 10.

Acclaimed photographer Pablo Bartholomew inaugurated the exhibition which was preceded by a presentation, followed by a talk. During his talk, Bartholomew’s advice to the budding photographers was, “It is crucial that you explore, cultivate and extensively view other art forms, because photography cannot be understood or practised in isolation.”

The exhibition, which is an annual event, was curated by well-known photographers, Vidura Jang Bahadur and Chandan Gomes, who are also part of the core faculty. The latter was recently listed amongst India’s top 10 best contemporary photographers alongside stalwarts like Dayanita, Sooni, Prabuddha and Raghu Rai by the London as Culture Trip.

Talking to Metrolife, one of the students, Abhishek Basu, said, “I am displaying 17 photographs at the exhibition. Through these pictures I am trying to showcase the city as seen at night. It is a photo essay and a reflection of my perspective about the city.”
Another student Saurabh Prasad, said, “I have 11 photographs in the exhibition and they show a comparison between Kashmir and the whole of Delhi 6, including Chandni Chowk. I am from Kashmir and there are markets which bear a resemblance to the markets in Chandni Chowk.

I am also very fascinated by the history of Delhi 6.” Prasad, who hails from a very humble family, came to Delhi four years back to make a living. He has even worked in a
call centre and a mobile network store to support his parents and has recently completed his Std XII through open school.

Talking about the exhibition Jang Bahadur said, “As much as it reflects the work put in by the students throughout the year, it also allows the students to assess their own work based on the feedback they receive from the people viewing it. This is the first step towards making a career in photography.”

Shashank Tyagi, who is exhibiting 12 photographs at the show, said, “The theme of my works for the exhibition is ‘The Other Side of Me’. For my photographs I asked people how they wanted to be shot, in one line. One of them said he wanted to be a murderer and wants blood in the photograph, another guy said he wanted to be a mermaid. So all my pictures are staged and reflect the desires of my subject. One of my pictures also tried to tell the story of a boy who was a victim of child abuse.”

The exhibition, featuring the works of students across different genres of photography including documentary, conceptual and portraiture presented in forms such as installation and prints, is open from 10 am to 8 pm everyday till October 15. The Graduate Photography Exhibition 2014 will culminate with a concert by the acclaimed Delhi-based eclectic fusion band Advaita, on October 15.