David de Souza takes a look at two photography exhibitions — one solo, one a collective effort — currently on in Mumbai
Photography is fast accelerating to the heights of a fine art. Not a moment too soon. In the public domain in India, it has largely been restricted to advertising, mainly to the work of fashion/glamour image-makers.
Industrial and architectural photographers have generally been limited to annual reports and editorial work. At the bottom of the heap are the wedding and event photographers and, further down, the passport portraitists.
Considering the astonishingly easy access to cameras today, the numbers of visuals being produced is truly staggering. And websites, image banks and photo agencies make images taken by amateurs and professionals alike far more available across the world. Software and technology have allowed complex editing, with a corresponding quantum leap in creativity.
However, even with all this, there is very little in India that stands out, engages, surprises and ultimately challenges the stereotype. There is a sad sense of having been there, done that.
At the moment, photography as fine art seems to extend the metaphor — like a used car dealer and in reverse gear — borrowing heavily from the international.
But there are signs that this situation can and will change. It needs to start with education, with an exchange of ideas and increased exposure to talent.
Photography and painting have had a long association, both heading towards the world of 3-D and holography, even though there will always be a place for the stunning, expressive and uncomplicated image.
The adage, ‘Build roads, development follows’ might easily be the mantra to follow where photography is concerned. Vision — a prerequisite to anything lasting and meaningful — is endemic to photography. Will it be 20/20?
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