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Walls of Expression: Posters as Public Discourse in Kannur
In Walls of Expression, Akhila Krishnan explores the vibrant visual landscape of Kannur, where posters transform walls into communal storytellers. The study highlights how Theyyam festival and election posters serve dual roles: cultural preservation and political engagement. These images, rich with symbolism and public discourse, reveal Kannur's unique synthesis of sacred tradition and contemporary politics, embodying a visual narrative where heritage and progress coexist in a complex, dynamic dialogue.
A pale blue dot and a few other thoughts | Joyel K Pious
The article explores four significant space photographs that have shaped our understanding of the cosmos: Voyager 1's "Pale Blue Dot" showing Earth as a tiny speck from billions of kilometers away, Venera missions' first images of Venus's hostile surface, Spirit rover's bluish Martian sunset, and James Webb Space Telescope's "First Deep Field" revealing thousands of ancient galaxies. Through these images, Pious weaves together themes of human curiosity, technological innovation, and our place in the universe, while noting that these photographs gain their significance not from aesthetic appeal but from their historical, philosophical, and scientific importance. The piece begins with the author's childhood memory of a science fiction story and ends contemplating our place in the vast cosmos, highlighting how space photography has transformed our perspective of reality.
Before The Death Throes | Metabolism of Culture
This chapter explores how ancient and modern cultural practices shape collective identities. It examines how schismogenesis—social divisions based on inherited beliefs and rituals—continues to inform both individual and societal behaviors. The analysis centers around Abul Kalam Azad's photograph depicting a moment of calm anticipation before a sacrificial ritual, inviting readers to question the interplay of tradition, ritual, and evolving identities. Through Azad's lens, the chapter reflects on how historical practices remain embedded in contemporary culture, highlighting their ongoing relevance to power, identity, and belief systems.
Fredric Jameson (1934-2024)
Fredric Jameson, the prominent American literary critic and Marxist theorist, passed away on September 22, 2024. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1934, he made groundbreaking contributions to critical theory, particularly through his Marxist interpretation of culture. Jameson's most influential work, Postmodernism, Or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism (1991), explored how social transformations were reflected in postmodern art, particularly in mass culture's commodification. Though his work delved deeply into the intersection of art and capitalism, Jameson is especially noted for his analysis of photography’s role in postmodernism, addressing themes of simulacra, reproducibility, and mass culture.
Beyond the mainstream: Xiangjie Peng’s Journey Through China’s Subcultures
Xiangjie Peng's latest book challenges mainstream Chinese photography by focusing on overlooked subcultures. Through three series - Dwarfs Empire, Twins, and Cosplay - Peng offers a nuanced view of contemporary China. "I am interested in the so-called non-mainstream people," Peng explains, rejecting politically sanctioned subjects. His empathetic approach lends dignity to marginalized groups, revealing a diverse and complex China beyond official narratives. Peng's work demonstrates photography's power to find beauty in unexpected places, presenting a unique perspective on modern Chinese society.
Pieces of the personal: Postcards at MAP portray lesser-seen past
In this article, Joyel K Pious explores the historical significance of early 20th-century postcards from colonial India, as showcased in an exhibition at the Museum of Art and Photography in Bengaluru. These postcards, primarily sent by English residents in India to their homes abroad, offer unique insights into the colonial perspective and the complex cultural dynamics of the time. Pious reflects on how these mundane objects of personal communication have transformed into artifacts of historical importance, revealing lesser-seen views of the past. The postcards depict various aspects of Indian life, often through a colonial gaze, ranging from exotic imagery to condescending portrayals of local culture. The article also touches on how native Indian businesses eventually entered the postcard market, incorporating patriotic themes and fusion of European and Indian imagery.
Digital Moon and Analogue Nights
In this
Autobiographical memoir
Indian photographer
Abul Kalam Azad
discusses his versatile journey
as a photo-artist
Drawing parallels to the
socio-political
context, personal history, and art
Abul Kalam Azad doubles
as a chronicler of
our time
The acclaimed pieces were
originally
published in the popular
Malayalam journal
Deshabhimani for a
period of
over a year (2019 – 2020)
Pathumayude Aadu by Abul Kalam Azad
In Pathumayude Aadu, the author delves into the avant-garde investigative journalism pioneered in Kerala, particularly highlighting the innovative portrayal of Basheer's beloved characters, which set a new standard for how literature could be explored and documented within the realm of journalism.
The Meeting of Two Legends – MGR and Mammootty
From the erstwhile Madras, on the inauguration day, MGR arrived at the Cochin old airport, and I was there to shoot him. As a big fan of MGR, obviously one among the millions of MGR lovers, I cherished my fascination to meet and shoot him. A master performer who excelled in playing fashionable, romantic, globetrotting and adorable heroes, MGR was unique by all standards. As most of the journalists and photographers took images of his arrival and left, I decided to stick around.
Crows: Photographing the Familiar | Abul Kalam Azad
Photographs can make familiar objects, places, and people more familiar. Everyday mundane encounters and banal objects, when photographed, instill an interest in its viewer to observe the ignored. For, when we look at familiar objects, again and again, it reveals something or the other that was not seen during the first instance.
ജലബിന്ദുക്കളുടെ മോക്ഷയാത്ര
ഹിമാലയന് മഞ്ഞുപാടങ്ങളില്
നിന്നൊഴുകി ചരിത്രമുറങ്ങുന്ന
ജനപഥങ്ങളെ തഴുകി
ബംഗാള് ഉള്ക്കടലിന്റെ
ആഴങ്ങളില് അലിയുന്നത് വരെയുള്ള
ഗംഗയുടെ യാത്രയെ
നാല് മാസത്തോളം
സൈക്കിളിലും, കാൽനടയായും
ജോയൽ കെ. പയസ്
അനുഗമിച്ചതിന്റെ
എഴുത്തും ചിത്രങ്ങളും
പ്രയാഗിലെ ദേശാടനക്കിളികൾ
നല്ല വെയിലുള്ള ഒരു ഉച്ചയ്ക്കാണ് ഞങ്ങൾ കാൺപൂരിൽ നിന്ന് പുറപ്പെട്ടത്. വാഹനങ്ങൾ ഇടതടവില്ലാതെ പായുന്ന ഗ്രാൻഡ് ട്രങ്ക് റോഡിന്റെ അരികിലൂടെ വളരെ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ഞാൻ സൈക്കിൾ ചവിട്ടി. വേഗമേറിയ വാഹനങ്ങൾ സൃഷ്ടിക്കുന്ന കാറ്റിന് സൈക്കിളിന്റെ താളം തെറ്റിക്കാൻ കഴിയും എന്നതിനാൽ ചെറിയ അശ്രദ്ധ പോലും അപകടം ക്ഷണിച്ചുവരുത്തുമായിരുന്നു. മുമ്പിലുള്ള പ്രധാന നഗരം 130 കിലോമീറ്റർ കിഴക്കുള്ള അലഹബാദ് ആയിരുന്നു. ഒറ്റദിവസം കൊണ്ട് അവിടെ എത്താനാകില്ല എന്നതുകൊണ്ട് ഇടയ്ക്കുള്ള ഫത്തേപ്പൂർ എന്ന പട്ടണത്തിൽ രാത്രി തങ്ങാനായിരുന്നു ഞങ്ങളുടെ പദ്ധതി. ഗംഗയുടെയും, യമുനയുടെയും ഇടയിലായാണ് ജില്ലാ ആസ്ഥാനം കൂടിയായ ഫത്തേപ്പൂരിന്റെ കിടപ്പ്. കയറ്റിറക്കങ്ങൾ ഇല്ലാത്ത വഴിയിലൂടെയുള്ള യാത്ര സുഖകരമായിരുന്നു.
ചുവപ്പും കറുപ്പും: ചില കാൺപൂർ ഓർമ്മകൾ
നഗരത്തെ നടുവിലൂടെ കീറിമുറിച്ച് കടന്നുപോകുന്ന പ്രധാന പാതയിലൂടെ പതിനഞ്ച് കിലോമീറ്റർ കൂടി സഞ്ചരിച്ചാൽ മാത്രമേ സുമിതിന്റെ സുഹൃത്തുക്കൾ ഏർപ്പാടാക്കിയ മുറിയിൽ എത്താനാകൂ. ഇതുവരെയുള്ള യാത്രയിലെ ഏറ്റവും വലുതും, തിരക്കുപിടിച്ചതുമായ നഗരമായിരുന്നു കാൺപൂർ. നിരനിരയായി ഇഴഞ്ഞുനീങ്ങുന്ന മോട്ടോർ വാഹനങ്ങളുടെ ഇടയിലൂടെ സൈക്കിളിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നത് ഒരു സർക്കസ് വിദ്യ പോലെ തോന്നി. വഴിയിൽ ഇടക്കിടെ വരുന്ന മേൽപ്പാലങ്ങളിലേക്ക് സൈക്കിൾ ചവിട്ടിക്കയറ്റാൻ ഞങ്ങൾ ഇരുവരും പ്രയാസപ്പെട്ടു. ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് വാഹനങ്ങളുടെ ഹോണുകൾ സൃഷ്ടിക്കുന്ന ഒച്ചപ്പാടിൽ സൈക്കിൾ മണികളുടെ ശബ്ദം അലിഞ്ഞില്ലാതായി. കൂടെക്കൂടെ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെടുന്ന ട്രാഫിക് സിഗ്നലുകൾ പിന്നിടുന്നത് അതീവ ശ്രമകരമായിരുന്നു. ഓട്ടപ്പന്തയത്തിന് തയ്യാറെടുക്കുന്നതുപോലെ അക്ഷമരായി പച്ചവെളിച്ചവും കാത്ത് നിൽക്കുന്ന ഡ്രൈവർമാർക്കിടയിലൂടെ സൈക്കിൾ ചവിട്ടുന്നത് അപകടം നിറഞ്ഞ പരിപാടിയായിരുന്നു. ഒന്നരമണിക്കൂറോളം നീണ്ട പ്രയാണത്തിനൊടുവിലാണ് കാൺപൂർ നഗരത്തിന്റെ തെക്കേയറ്റത്ത് ഞങ്ങൾ എത്തിച്ചേർന്നത്.
പുതുമഴയുടെ മണമുള്ള മണ്ണിൽ
മുറിയിൽ എത്തിയപ്പോൾ ധർമ്മശാലയുടെ ഉടമ അവിടെ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. ഞങ്ങളുടെ വിശേഷങ്ങൾ കേട്ടപ്പോൾ അയാൾ ഭേദപ്പെട്ട ഒരു മുറി തന്നു. ചിലന്തിവലകൾ നിറഞ്ഞ, ഈർപ്പം തങ്ങി നിന്നിരുന്ന ആ മുറി ആദ്യത്തെ സ്റ്റോർ റൂമിനേക്കാൻ നല്ലതായിരുന്നു. ഞങ്ങളുടെ പര്യടനഭൂപടത്തിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടാത്ത സ്ഥലമായിരുന്നെങ്കിലും, ബദായൂനിന്റെ ചരിത്രത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് ഞാൻ അല്പം അന്വേഷണം നടത്തി. അഹർ രാജകുമാരനായ ബുദ്ധ് പൊതുയുഗം (CE) 905ൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ചതാണ് ഈ നഗരം എന്ന് വിശ്വസിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. മുഹമ്മദ് ഗസ്നിയുടെ ബന്ധുവായ സയ്യിദ് മസൂദ് ഗാസി CE 1028 ൽ ഈ പ്രദേശം പിടിച്ചടക്കി
ബ്രിജ്ഘാട്ടിലെ ചൂടുകാറ്റ്
‘തീർത്ഥാടക നഗരിയായ അനുപ്ശഹറിലേക്ക് സ്വാഗതം’ എന്നെഴുതി വെച്ചിട്ടുള്ള ഒരു വലിയ കമാനം ഞങ്ങളുടെ മുൻപിൽ തലയുയർത്തി നിന്നു. മുഗൾ ചക്രവർത്തിയായ ജഹാംഗീറിന്റെ ഭരണകാലത്ത് അനുപ് റായ് എന്ന രാജാവാണ് ഈ പട്ടണം സ്ഥാപിച്ചത് എന്നാണ് പറയപ്പെടുന്നത്.
Metabolism of Culture
Tulsi Swarna Lakshmi
presents a
socio-anthropological
reading of Photographer
Abul Kalam Azad’s
Men of Pukar photo-series
which is the third part
of his ongoing
five-part series titled
Story of Love, Desire & Agony
that creates meta-conceptual
parallel visuals of
Classical Tamil
epic tragedy Cilappathikaram
In Metabolism of culture (MoC)
the author seeks to understand
the origins of “Culture” and the
multi-fold assimilation and manifestation
of identity, territory, and gender
Before The Death Throes | Metabolism of Culture
This chapter explores how ancient and modern cultural practices shape collective identities. It examines how schismogenesis—social divisions based on inherited beliefs and rituals—continues to inform both individual and societal behaviors. The analysis centers around Abul Kalam Azad's photograph depicting a moment of calm anticipation before a sacrificial ritual, inviting readers to question the interplay of tradition, ritual, and evolving identities. Through Azad's lens, the chapter reflects on how historical practices remain embedded in contemporary culture, highlighting their ongoing relevance to power, identity, and belief systems.
Battle of the gods | Metabolism of Culture
In "The Battle of the Gods," Tulsi Swarna Lakshmi analyzes Indian photographer Abul Kalam Azad's "Men of Pukar" series, using it as a lens to explore the transformation of cultural symbols in India. The author focuses on the shift from the buffalo to the cow as a sacred animal, viewing this change as emblematic of larger cultural metamorphoses. This transition is reflected in the myth of Durga slaying Mahishasura, a narrative that transcends a simple tale of good versus evil. Instead, it represents the complex interplay between indigenous traditions and incoming Vedic culture. By examining the evolving perceptions of the buffalo—from a revered symbol of fertility and strength to a representation of evil—Lakshmi uncovers the deeper cultural metabolism of India, revealing how symbols and myths adapt to reflect changing societal dynamics.
Taboos and totems, the holy and the unholy
There is an intrinsic conflict when anything becomes a totem to one and a taboo to another. But when seen objectively, these epical animals share one thing in common – mystical elements attributed to the tamable and productive or the untamable and powerful. The greater their contribution to humans survival and economic well-being, the more sacred they become.
Art News
Photo Mail online magazine
brings out special news about
Photography and allied art forms
National/International Photography
Exhibitions, Technique, Product updates
Opportunities
as well as featured reports and
Events
Moon Light
Emerging Indian Photographer
Biju Ibrahim
has versatile interests
and a restless
zeal to create
images, be it still or
moving
A chronicler at heart, he
is open and
curious to observe and
document the
versatility of
India’s diverse lifestyle, ritual
and landscape
In Moon Light, Biju
Ibrahim shares a slice of
his journeys and
experiences as
moving image anecdotes
Zoom In
PhotoMail constructively and
Critically zooms into
The life and work of photographers
Its art and techniques
Contemporary theory
Aesthetics, material philosophy and
Sociology
In my taxi, when a photo artist becomes a cab driver
What motivated Weideman to keep photographing? The answer to this is also an important quality that makes his photographs intriguing. He continued shooting even though he was not exhibiting nor getting into any sort of limelight until the mid-90s. Passion for the medium, of course. But there is more.
Mallaahs, the boatmen of Gangetic geography, A Photo Art series by Shibu Arakkal
Review of Mallahs, the boat of Gangetic geography, photographic series of Shibu Arakkal. For several hundred years these boatmen on the Ganga and the Yamuna have handed down their oars from father to son. I was intensely drawn to the purpose of their lives, to carry people back and forth on these rivers. Almost married to their boats, these men. To live almost all of their lives on these wooden vessels, going about their worldly chores and belonging to a tribe of menfolk, they pride themselves on being the real caretakers of these mystical rivers. Almost as if they are born on these boats and just as possibly may breath their last on it, the Mallaah men live lives removed from their families and children.
In search of the lost home
Across the world there are ongoing attempts to construct a ‘people’s history’ through photographs. Memory Projects, they are fondly called, focus mainly on the pre-digital era when photography was not as common as today. Bengali photographer Anandarup Goswami’s photography series ‘A Home of No Return’, though not directly linked with any memory project, shows certain resemblances with the latter’s style, and yet carries its own soul. A Home of No Return visually narrates the past and the present through a mixture of faded and fresh photographs.
Homomorphism II
The LGBTQ community has found for itself public spaces in urban regions. We will wait and see what they want to tell the world from that space. After all, solidarity with the cause does not mean solidarity with the acts, and it is time for the community to begin to act convincingly. This exhibition is a good starting point, and further on, there is a desperate need for clarity on the part of the activist-artists.
Elements and Fragments, Uncovering Narratives of a Temple Town
Inasmuch, every photographer that ever visited Tiruvannamalai never took notice about anything other than Ramana and the Annamalaiyar temple – their eyes glossing over everything else and their focus devoted entirely to the two ‘divine’ icons. But, there remains a Tiruvannamalai beyond, which has gone unnoticed and undocumented – invisible to the colonial gaze that is pre-occupied with its exotic fairy tales, and underwhelming for the photojournalist due to its perceived mundane-ness.
Panorama
Photo Mail presents
A panoramic view of
The art of photography’s
Interaction
and Interrelation
with other
Art mediums such as
Literature
Architecture, and
Other visual media
Walls of Expression: Posters as Public Discourse in Kannur
In Walls of Expression, Akhila Krishnan explores the vibrant visual landscape of Kannur, where posters transform walls into communal storytellers. The study highlights how Theyyam festival and election posters serve dual roles: cultural preservation and political engagement. These images, rich with symbolism and public discourse, reveal Kannur's unique synthesis of sacred tradition and contemporary politics, embodying a visual narrative where heritage and progress coexist in a complex, dynamic dialogue.
A pale blue dot and a few other thoughts | Joyel K Pious
The article explores four significant space photographs that have shaped our understanding of the cosmos: Voyager 1's "Pale Blue Dot" showing Earth as a tiny speck from billions of kilometers away, Venera missions' first images of Venus's hostile surface, Spirit rover's bluish Martian sunset, and James Webb Space Telescope's "First Deep Field" revealing thousands of ancient galaxies. Through these images, Pious weaves together themes of human curiosity, technological innovation, and our place in the universe, while noting that these photographs gain their significance not from aesthetic appeal but from their historical, philosophical, and scientific importance. The piece begins with the author's childhood memory of a science fiction story and ends contemplating our place in the vast cosmos, highlighting how space photography has transformed our perspective of reality.
Battle of the gods | Metabolism of Culture
In "The Battle of the Gods," Tulsi Swarna Lakshmi analyzes Indian photographer Abul Kalam Azad's "Men of Pukar" series, using it as a lens to explore the transformation of cultural symbols in India. The author focuses on the shift from the buffalo to the cow as a sacred animal, viewing this change as emblematic of larger cultural metamorphoses. This transition is reflected in the myth of Durga slaying Mahishasura, a narrative that transcends a simple tale of good versus evil. Instead, it represents the complex interplay between indigenous traditions and incoming Vedic culture. By examining the evolving perceptions of the buffalo—from a revered symbol of fertility and strength to a representation of evil—Lakshmi uncovers the deeper cultural metabolism of India, revealing how symbols and myths adapt to reflect changing societal dynamics.
Focus
Photo Mail focuses on
Contemporary photography
Practitioners, their works, and
Its aesthetics
In the broader context of
Photographic theory and
Philosophy
The Long Walk to Home: A Critical Reading
During the corona pandemic lockdown, India saw its migrant workers walk in an ardent will to reach the safety of their homes… History repeats itself, they say. Well, not exactly the same situation, but during Indian’s partition, thousands of Muslims and Hindus had to cross over – in search of a new home in unknown terrain. Seen through the photographic eyes of Margaret Bourke-White and Sunil Janah – the horrifying events of Indian Partition 1947 comes alive – once again in the Corona days – much more violent, cruel, and gruesome. It is a stark reminder that even after 70 and odd years of independence, India still has not healed itself of poverty, inequality, and oppression.
Iconic Faces, Zooming into Raghu Rai’s photographic practice
Portrait photography is one of the areas where Raghu Rai has displayed mastery, and where he has revealed his own deepest convictions about the medium. Photomail investigates photographs of four spiritual and political leaders made by Raghu Rai, seeking to find what patterns run beneath the surfaces of these images.
Indian Photography’s (Conceptual) Poverty and Reality
Alessio Mamo’s series of photographs titled ‘Dreaming Food’ was shot in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in 2011, in which he tried to illustrate the contrast in the manner food was wasted in the West “especially at Christmas time”, and the widespread poverty that he saw in parts of India. The series was exhibited in Delhi Photography Festival in 2013, but when he posted images from the series during his takeover of World Press Photo’s Instagram handle as one of its awardees of 2018, a public debate erupted around the nature of his work and its political correctness. WPP has since issued a statement in which it clarifies the guidelines for its Instagram takeover, which is a benefit given to its award winners. But Indian print and online media subsequently took up the issue and it has been given wide coverage, with experts, photographers, and commentators weighing in from all sides. Now that all the arguments for and against have been brought out, PhotoMail takes a look at this issue in the broader context of poverty representation in India.
Stills Still to Fade, Immortal images of NL Balakrishnan
Does a photo carry a meaning? Like a memory which has a meaning, photo doesn’t in itself have a meaning. Stills don’t speak but they are not dead as such. They evoke memories and memory evokes the meaning behind the image. - NL Balakrishnan
Perception and Photography
The realist discourse of photography believes that photographs capture the world as it is. As scientific, empirical knowledge. It is the Camera’s mechanical nature, which is supposed to give us the unchallenged, unassailable ‘reality’ of photography. It presents us with the image of photography as a mechanized form of perception.
Bollywood Ecstasy by Jai Singh
For about half its life, the Indian film industry has been dominated by Bollywood, at least in terms of presence in society, popularity and scale of productions. Bombay took over as the major center of film production in India from Calcutta, and gave birth to the Bollywood – the name itself is a clear homage to the ideal it aspired to. Bollywood has since dictated the imagination of the majority of the middle class of the country, directly and indirectly; and in this aspect, the presence of the still photographer in the set is often underestimated.
The Real Aesthetic: Documentary Noise
The idea of ‘documentary’ goes to the heart of the invention of photography. Historically distinct from painting, the iconic-index-symbol structure of photographs quickly impressed with its capacity to ‘document’ things, a function which today, in an age of photo-copiers and electronic machines that reproduce instantly, is so obvious that it seems banal to even mention it here.
Of Wines and Vines by Anila Gill
This series of Vineyard workers started taking shape when photographer Anila joined the team of grape-pickers of her neighbour and friend winemaker Pascal Potaire (Les Capriades) in September 2013. She had recently settled in the country side of Central France and, after months spent indoors, she felt exhilarated by the contact with nature in the Vineyard. She had to be up early and start the hard physical labour, which had rhythmic stretch, bend, stretch and bend movements... the feet and hand touching the soil. The amazing body and mind energy it created, as well as the bounding between the members of this motley crew of various marginal backgrounds, inspired Anila to capture and document the synergy. As she was also working, the remaining moments for the photographic project were left to the poses. Thus, after progressing slowly and painfully between the ranks, the relieved standing pauses of the Vineyard workers. A global village of grounded, yet often uprooted workers has come into light, as she learned that the vines, in their wild form, are not meant to creep on the ground but to grow free and entangled, in the forests and jungles.
Paradigms of Perception: Between the Visual and the Optic
Even when a photograph looks unmediated, without human intervention in the realisation of its image and hence signifying authorial absence, the absence itself is a construction. It is a construction at the interface between factuality and artifice or between simulacrum and point of view; and it is not an empirically given precondition of perception. In many of Ramu’s images, as in the Calgary pictures, the rigorously composed optic array within the frame and the randomness which it suggests of the physical disarray outside the frame (both of which are bound by a causal symmetry) create a subtle dualism.
Making an Inclusive Mountain
This is the essence of Project 365: each photographer creating according to his or her own desires, yet all working toward a common goal. The mix of approaches is the project’s strength. Variant perspectives give the wider view: from Jiby Charles’ exploratons of the areas ecology, to Dinesh Khanna’s obsession with vibrant colour and how those colours manifest in the faiths and lives of everyday people. M.K. Iqbal is making an intimate study of Tiru’s small Muslim population, while Leo James runs a parallel body of work lovingly portraying the even smaller population of Christians. R. R. Srinivasan is creating an intense “Archeological Mapping of Tiruvannamalai”. Srinivasan’s ambitious approach includes not only photographs, but detailed references to historical texts and written descriptions that read like an archeologist’s probing analysis of each and every image.
Anup Mathew Thomas’ Nurses: Presence and Absence of Nurses
Anup Mathew Thomas gives a sense of non-commitment as he does not intent to divulge the personal narratives of these nurses. This series, in a sense stands opposite to what Parthiv Shah had done in his path breaking project titled ‘Figures, Facts, Feelings: Direct Diasporic Dialogue’ (2000). In this project, Parthiv had approached around thirty four Indian people who had settled in the UK for more than three decades. He asked them twenty questions pertaining to their lives. The answers were juxtaposed with the images of these people taken by Parthiv in the locations that they liked most in their habitats.
Memory
Photo Mail remembers
Photographers and
Their contribution
As well as tunes into
The historical perspectives that
Influence contemporary
Photographic practice and
Its aesthetics
Remembering Punalur Rajan
Punalur Rajan was an enigma – a mystery that requires further unfolding. He was an important person in the history of contemporary Kerala. In the time to come, we will be forced to look back to his photographs – for his contribution is something that knows no bounds. He will live through the slices of history he has left behind. No words could ever fully represent the politics and ideology to which he dedicated his life. I leave my pranaams to this remarkable person with the question – what are we going to do now?
The Meaning of Photography and, therefore, of Victor George
Victor George looked for meaning in rain, not formal beauty or abstraction. Instances of abstraction are sporadically seen in his photographs – such as a massive raincloud which looks like a wash of purple-grey – but are always marred by a concrete, meaningful, identifiable figure – in the aforementioned case, a flying bird occupies the centre of attention of the image, and discernible clouds are seen in the background, giving the image concreteness.
Zachariah D’Cruz and the Act of Photographing a Progressive Travancore
Zachariah D’Cruz is not an oft-mentioned name in the context of Indian photography, and his images circulate in India, especially Kerala, without his name being mentioned as the author. It is easiest to describe him as a government photographer of the Travancore kingdom, whose most popular and most visible work today consists of a collection of 76 images titled “Album of South Indian Views”, which was gifted to Lord Curzon1 on his visit to Travancore, and which is now in the possession of the British Library.
Representations of an Ethos: Razak Kottakkal
Razak Kottakal’s photographs of Basheer is almost as famous as Basheer himself; anybody who is familiar to a minimum extent with Modern Malayalam literature would have encountered at least a few of Razak’s portraits of literary figures, without knowing the name of the photographer – mostly because the photographer is considered secondary to the subject in such cases. Different aspects of Razak’s life have entered public record, through interviews of his contemporaries, family, colleagues, and subjects. Yet, for all the wealth of information that such records provide, they are hard reminders that photographers are barely understood beyond superficial labels.
Face to Face
Photo Mail publishes
Exclusive interviews
With photographers
Academicians and artists
From related visual
Arts practice
Interview with Prashant Panjiar
Prashant Panjiar's latest photobook 'That Which Is Unseen' was launched on September 18. Published by Ahmedabad-based Navajivan Trust, this book is a collection of photographs and backstories from Panjiar's almost four decades of photography career. Here is an exclusive interview.
Interview with Nick Oza
Nick Oza is a staff photojournalist at the Arizona Republic where he covers community and national issues like immigration, gang violence, mental health, and refugees. His 20+ years of experience behind the camera have taken him to places like Iraq, India, Benin, Mexico, Guatemala and all over North America. Recently he is working on Politics and Immigration crisis. He is driven by curiosity, compassion and a deep desire to tell the stories of the people he documents. His multimedia work has been honored with an Emmy Award and his documentary photos have received honors from Pictures of the Year International and NPPA's Best of Photojournalism. He was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service as part of the Biloxi Sun Herald's coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
Interview With Pulavar N. Thyagarajan
Pulavar N Thiagarajan is a poet, writer, political activist and amateur photographer. Thiagarajan was brought up in Poompukar, and has completed his matriculation in Poompukar, and further pursued a course under Madras University. Thiagarajan learnt English and Tamil from school, and developed each through personal reading and study. He soon joined the Tamil Manila Congress (TMC), and fondly remembers meeting Gandhi at Mayavaram (presently Mayiladuthurai). He was active in the freedom struggle and continued to work with the Congress after Independence. A noted poet and writer, the most significant book that he has published is Poompukar Varalatru Yechangal, which is an academic book on the history of Poompukar. His journey in photography began in the 1940s and he has photographed the town and nearby areas, focussing on the temples, temple art, gatherings and landscapes. Ekalokam Trust for Photography, a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting and promoting contemporary photography, is presently archiving the analogue photographs made by N Thiagarajan.
Interview with Punalur Rajan
Punalur Rajan is a now-retired photographer who was one of the first photographers in Kerala who popularized the social documentary genre. Rajan is most recognized for his portraits of litterateurs, politicians and cine-personalities. Rajan’s photography can be described as being an offshoot of the same thought that produced Sunil Janah. The Communist Party was an integral driving force in both of their careers and in their photographic practice. A reflection of Sunil Janah’s impact in the national level can be seen in the influence of Rajan in a regional level. Photographing notable personalities, especially literary icons, was a trend that was and continues to be widespread in Kerala, supported by the many weekly and daily publications that wanted these photographs. Such images were largely attempted by journalistic photographers, rather than studio photographers, despite portraiture not being an area of specialization for most of them. Rajan’s skill in portraiture is what set him apart from the other photographers who have indulged in this genre over the years.
Interview with Selvaprakash Lakshmanan
Selvaprakash Lakshmanan is an independent photographer based in Bangalore. He earned his Masters in Communication from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli (2000 - 2002). In the year 2002, he started his career in photography as a staff photographer for Dinamalar, a leading Tamil newspaper and has later worked with Dinakaran, DNA and Time Out Magazine. His photographs have been published in leading National and International newspapers and magazines and exhibited in photo festivals. In this exclusive interview, he is sharing his work life and thoughts on photography.
தமிழ்
போட்டோ மெயில்
தமிழ் பக்கத்தில்
சமகால புகைப்படக்கலை
அதன் வரலாறு, அழகியல்
நுட்பங்கள், விமர்சனம்
மற்றும்
மொழிமாற்றப்பட்ட
கட்டுரைகள் பிரசுரிக்கப்படும்
ஒசரக் கூனிச்சி
சமகால புகைப்படமும் கவிதையும் சிறப்பு நெடுவரிசை. கவிதைகள் முத்துராசா குமார். புகைப்படம்அபுல் கலாம் ஆசாத்,
கருப்பு நிலமும், மனிதர்களும் | பாலமுருகன்
இந்திய வரைபடத்தில் புதிதாக உதயமான ஒரு மாநிலத்தில் கால் வைக்க போகிறோம் என்றதுமே அதற்கான முன்திட்டமிடல் ஆரம்பமானது. பயணம் தொடங்கியது. ராஞ்சி விமான நிலையத்தில் இருந்து நான்கு மணி நேர சாலைப்பயணம். ஜார்கண்ட் என்ற சொல்லுக்கு காடுகளை கொண்ட நிலப்பரப்பு என்பது பொருள். அந்த பெயருக்கு எந்த குறைவும் இல்லாமல் வழி நெடுக அடர்ந்த காடுகளை காண முடிந்தது. தூத்துக்குடி துறைமுகத்தில் நிலக்கரியை கப்பலில் இருந்து இறக்குமதி செய்வதை பார்த்த எனக்கு நிலக்கரி மலையை வெட்டி போடப்பட்டிருந்த சாலையில் பயணித்த போது சிலிர்ப்பாக இருந்தது.
Smart City
விரிகொம்பு காளை | சமகால புகைப்படமும் கவிதையும் சிறப்பு நெடுவரிசை. கவிதைகள் முத்துராசா குமார் | புகைப்படம் அபுல் கலாம் ஆசாத்
நானொரு உடுக்கையாடி
சமகால புகைப்படமும் கவிதையும் சிறப்பு நெடுவரிசை. புகைப்படம் அபுல் கலாம் ஆசாத். கவிதைகள் முத்துராசா குமார்.
தென்னிந்தியாவைப் படம் பிடித்த முதல் புகைப்படக் கலைஞர்
காலவரிசைப் படி எல்லாவற்றையும் ஆராயும் போது, கேப்டன் லின்னேயஸ் ட்ரைப் தான் தமிழகத்தை முதன்முதலில் புகைப்படம் எடுத்துள்ளார் என்று அறிய முடிகிறது. இந்தியாவிலேயே புகைப்பட ஸ்டுடியோவும், தொழிற்கலைப் பள்ளியும் முதலில் சென்னையில் தான் தொடங்கப்பட்டது. மதராஸ் ராஜதானியின் தலைநகராக இருந்த சென்னையில் மே மாதம் 1850ல் தொழிற்கலைப் பள்ளி அலெக்ஸாண்டர் ஹண்டரினால் தொடங்கப்பட்டது. அப்போது புகைப்படக்கலை முக்கியப் பாடமாகவும் இருந்தது. ஹண்டர் மற்றும் எலியட் ஆகியோர் மாணவர்களுடன் சென்று, தமிழகத்தின் முக்கிய ஊர்கள் அனைத்தையும் புகைப்படங்களாக எடுத்தனர்.
துயரத்தின் பிம்பங்கள்
போர் புகைப்படங்களின் முரண்பாடு, இதன் மூலம் அம்பலமாகிறது. அது “அனுசரணையை” ஏற்படுத்துவதற்காக பிரசரிக்கப்படுகிறது என பெரும்பான்மையோரால் கருதப்படுகிறது. அதன் மிகவும் தீவிரமான உதாரணங்கள் – மெக்கலினின் பெரும்பான்மையான புகைப்படங்களில் உள்ளது போல – அதிகப்பட்சமான அனுசரணையை ஏற்படுத்த மிகவும் துயரமான தருணத்தை காண்பிக்கும். அத்தகைய தருணங்கள், புகைப்படம் எடுத்தாலும், எடுக்காவிட்டாலும், சாதாரண தருணங்களிலிருந்து தொடர்பற்ற நிலையிலிருக்கும். அவை தாமாகவே தனித்து நிற்கும்.
ஹென்ரி கார்தியெ பிரெஸ்ஸோன் – ‘இந்த நூற்றாண்டின் கண்’
பிரெஸ்ஸோன் ஒரு மகத்தானப் புகைப்படக்கலைஞர், அதேவேளையில் அவர் மகத்தான உருவப்படப் புகைப்படக்கலைஞரும் கூட, ஏனெனில் உருவப்படப் புகைப்படக் கலைஞராக இருப்பவர்கள், மகத்தான புகைப்படக்கலைஞர்களாக இருப்பதில்லை. நாற்பதாண்டுகால புகைப்படப் பயணத்தில், ‘பத்திரிக்கைப்படக்கலை’ (Photo Journalism) என்பதை முழு அர்த்தத்துடன் செயல்படுத்திக் காட்டியவர் பிரெஸ்ஸோன். இன்னும் சொல்லப்போனால் அப்பதத்தினை புனர்மாற்றம் செய்து புதுமையாகக் கண்டுபிடித்தவர் என்றே சொல்லலாம்.
ஜான் ஐசக் – மரணித்துப் போன வண்ணங்கள், பிறகொரு வண்ணத்துப்பூச்சி
புகைப்படக்கலைஞர் ஜான் ஐசக் பொறுத்த வரையில் புகைப் படங்களைவிட மனித மாண்பே முக்கியம். அவருடைய புகைப்பட அனுபவங்களில், ஆப்பிரிக்கப் பழங்குடி மக்களிடையே வேலை செய்யும்போது, ஒரு சிறு தெருவழியாக அவர் சென்று கொண்டிருக்கிறார். செல்லும் வழியில் ஒரு காட்சி, தெரு முனையில் ஓர் இளம்பெண் முழுநிர்வாணமாக, ஒரு குழந்தையைப் பெற்றெடுத்தபடி, அதன் தொப்புள் கொடிகூட வெட்டப்படவில்லை, ரத்த வெள்ளத்தில் குழந்தையின் அழுகுரலோடு அக்காட்சி விரிந்து கிடக்கிறது.
ஆந்த்ரே கெர்தஸ் – ‘உலகை முதலில் புதிதாகப் பார்த்தார்’
அவருடைய படைப்புகள் எல்லாவற்றையும் உதறிக்கொண்டு எளிமையான புகைப்படங்களாகவே இருந்தன. வெறுமனே புகைப்படக்கலைஞராக மட்டுமல்லாமல், ஓர் ஓவியராக, கவிஞராக, நகைச்சுவையாளராக அவர் இருந்தார். புகைப்படக்கலையில் ஓவியத்தின் பாதிப்பை இவரின் படங்களில் உணரலாம். குறிப்பாக சிதைக்கப்பட்ட நிர்வாண உருவங்கள், அசையாப் பொருட்களின் சித்திரங்கள் இவருடைய ஓவிய ஆர்வத்தை வெளிப்படுத்தின. இரு வேறு காட்சிகளை இணைப்பதும், ஒரே புகைப்படத்தில் பல்வேறு புகைப்பட அனுபவங்கள் பின்னப்பட்டிருப்பதும் இவரிடமே தொடங்குகிறது.
கோமாளிக்கு ஓர் அவசரக் கடிதம்…
வசீகரக் கோமாளிகளே, நீண்ட காலமாய் உங்களில் ஒருவனாக ஆகிவிடவேண்டுமென்ற எனது கனவு மெல்ல மறைந்து போகும் அபாயம் எனக்குள் நிகழ்ந்து கொண்டிருக்கிறது. உங்கள் மேல் உள்ள காதல் துளிகளை உங்களிடம் நான் சொல்ல வரும்போதெல்லாம், ஒன்று நீங்கள் குட்டையாயிருக்கிறீர்கள் அல்லது மிக உயரமாயிருக்கிறீர்கள். நீங்கள் அண்ணாந்து பார்ப்பதையும் குனிந்து பார்ப்பதையும் நானும் விரும்பவில்லை.
பேசாத கல்லும், விளையாட்டுப் பொம்மையும்
கையில் கேமராவுடன் அலையும் சூபியாக மாறிய ராவுத்தரே அபுல். அவரது முன்னோர் எவ்வாறு மக்களிடம் பேசினரோ அவ்வண்ணமே தமிழ் பேசுகிறார். ஆனால், ஆசாத் எந்தவொரு மொழியிலும் பேசவில்லை என்று தான் நான் எண்ணுகிறேன். அவர் புகைப்படங்களின் மொழியினை பேசுகிறார். உலகில் அறியப்பட்ட, மற்றும் அறியப்படாத எந்த மொழியையும் பேசும் ஆற்றல் கொண்ட புன்னகைக்கும் புகைப்படக்கலைஞனே அபுல் கலாம் ஆசாத்.
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ഫോട്ടോ മെയിൽ
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