Along with the evolution of photography have come trends that have changed the picture completely.
Once such evolution has been the act of putting a camera in the hands of a generation that is constantly documenting its life and sharing it instantly with the world. The “selfie” has changed the face the art of self-portraiture.
In fact, even professional photographers have taken a note of the trend that has become an integral part of modern day life and photography.
Popularity
“Habitat Photosphere,” a year-long photography festival initiated by the India Habitat Centre, too has taken a note of the popularity of the “selfie”. It is organising a workshop, titled “Self Portrait to Selfie: Redefining Image Making,” to be conducted by photographer and film-maker Parthiv Shah. The workshop seeks to address the conundrum surrounding the best way to take a selfie.
Parthiv said: “In 2013, ‘selfie’ was declared as ‘Word of the Year’ by the Oxford Dictionary. Over the past few years, the phenomenon has emerged as one of the top trends in this image-crazed world, being appropriated by the common man, celebrities and politicians alike. The ‘Age of Selfie,’ as it has come to be known, might be the result of unprecedented changes in technology and the rise of social media. However, it owes tremendously to the old-age genre of self-portrait.”
The workshop will trace the origins of self-portraiture that began during the middle-ages, as is evident in the works of Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Edvard Munch. The interactive workshop seeks to explore how questions of identity and self-fashioning have been transformed by the modern ways of “image-making”. Participants will also gain an insight into the normalised distinctions of public and private narratives, and newer cultures of memory-making in contemporary society.
Registrations
The workshop will be held at the Experimental Arts Gallery, IHC, on July 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fee for participation is Rs.800 for non-members and Rs.500 for students, senior citizens and IHC members. Participants are requested to bring a capturing device (a mobile phone or a simple point-and-shoot camera). Registrations for the workshop are open.
The workshop will trace the origins of self-portraiture that began during the middle-ages
