Windows for paintings imitating sculptures – this group by Chennai-based photographers meditate in a jiffy
A green tin trunk. Inside are toffee boxes filled with stamps traveling across countries, continents and time. Handwritten dishes, letters, and sepia-colored envelopes. An illustrated stamp inscribed in 1914 for the Ottoman Empire, when they were nearing total collapse, featuring the former War Ministry that is now the gateway to the University of Istanbul; Handwritten recipe for Everton Toffee; 1935 stamp for the landing of Ferdinand Magellan on the island of Cebu (now part of the Philippines) in 1521.
When photographer Ami Gupta saw this treasure, a new world opened up. The world of Banu Pestonji, a woman he had never met and who had a trunk. Ami immediately realized that this unique collection of historical markers deserved a display.
In the group show A Moment in Time at VA Art Gallery, curated by Varun Aravind and Upasana Asrani, Ami uses photography to record them for posterity. “This was given to my father by a friend of his in the 80s, but they are much earlier. There was also a book that was part-recipe and part-stamp book. For the stamps, I also used a magnifying lens to show the details, especially the texture of the paper,” she says.
Standing alongside his display are time-frozen portraits, landscapes, people and architecture by other photographers from Chennai: Praneeth Reddy, Rakshitha Aravind and Nirali Dutta. In the quaint gallery space, which is a permanent fixture amid a flurry of art and decor pieces, each artist gets their own section.
Praneeth’s collection is a series of powerful black and white images – all shot in a corner of his room. Four pictures show models in curtains, curtains falling in waves on their faces; Attempts to recreate medieval sculptures through paintings. “In all my photos, I would prefer it if the identity of the person is not revealed. I try to use mask or similar props just to be sure, says Praneeth. Among his notable work titled Heave, the thin, streaked fabric masks a face. Controlled lighting makes a powerful statement.
As far as Nirali is concerned, worldly activities require documentation. Hers is a mix of black and white as well as color photographs, with particular interest in the sea and skies of Chennai. A pixelated frame of a building takes a guess: it’s a reflection of a building over a pool of water.
Meanwhile, Rakshita Aravind’s windows pass through Chennai in lockdown. Rakshita, who shot the film says, “Last year, I found myself pulled out of the windows. There was something about trying to show the space or the people inside. There’s a little mystery in that.”
A Moment in Time is on display till September 21 at VA Art Gallery, Gandhi Mandapam Road
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