Diplomatist
The twentieth century saw both fine art photography and documentary photography become accepted by the English –speaking art world and the establishment of the gallery system to display these art works.
Photography is all about capturing the right angles and the accurate mood. It is the art of displaying thoughts and glimpses by trapping them in the lens of the camera. Photo art is emerging as the latest of creative art forms in a big way. There was a time when paintings dominated the arena of visual art, but with changing times and rapid development in technology, photography has become an art of repute.
The first permanent photograph was clicked in 1826 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce using a sliding wooden box camera made by Charles and Vincent Chevalier in Paris. Photographs carry memories and are said to turn back time. Developing photography as an art is a relatively new phenomenon and what’s more…? It has a large number of customers as well ranging from corporate clients to clients of international fame.
Photo art has an aesthetic feel that is difficult to find elsewhere. Curator and art consultant, Sharan Apparao began by opening Delhi’s only exclusive photography gallery at Nizamuddin East which has now been shifted to a new venue by the name of Apparao Infinity at Copernicus Marg. According to her, art and design, art and fashion, and art and life have much in common. Art is all about harmony and design combined with utility. Ancient texts have prescribed norms for art, aesthetics and design and today it has become a way of life since we have assimilated the artistic nature over generations. Yet, the various art forms have been separated into visual art, design, craft, performing art and literature. Her exhibition is a conscious effort to intertwine art and design
There is a broad demarcation. This exhibition is a conscious effort to cross art and design by arranging combinations of one designer with one fine artist as they partner to produce works of utility and works of art. Apparao, known for bringing out new talents in the art domain feels that it is not the pocket that bothers the visitors but the lack of awareness of aesthetics in photography. She feels that in the coming three years, photography has a bright future in India.
The word photography means ‘drawing by light’ and is being swallowed by the Art market in a big way. The twentieth century saw both fine art photography and documentary photography become accepted by the English –speaking art world and the establishment of the gallery system to display these art works. In the United States the concept of photography as a fine art was advocated by Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, John Szarkowski, and Edward Weston who were distinguished photographers of their time.
Pictorialism soon became a movement where fine art photographers tried to imitate painting styles, often trying to capture a dreamy, ‘romantic’ look. The f/64 group was formed under the guidance of eminent photographers of the time, Weston and Ansel Adams to propagate ‘straight photography’ as a sharply focused art form in itself and not an imitation of something else.
The recent years have seen an increase in demand for Indian art works that sell like hot cakes overseas. Sangeeta Aggarwal, a finacial analyst held a ‘spft launch’ of her exclusive photo gallery at Greater Kailash-II in the capital recently. The gallery spread across 15,000 sq ft hosts shows of one Indian and one foreign photographer side by side. The aim of the gallery if to promote art and design and to provide photographers of excellent quality the opportunity to meet international standards at an affordable price. The quality of the photographs is screened through a panel of judges that include emminent art and photography critics including Aggarwal herself. She makes it a point to provide pictures on paper of archinal texture such as enhance matt, super lustre, canvas, texture paper and smooth fine art paper which is imported from major European countries that guarantee its durability for 100 years.
Ranging from war to still life, fashion to landscape, and abstract to film photography, the camera can capture it all. A dab of colour, the flowing river, a tell-tale emotion, a bedazzling curio, pictures have the capability to capture any emotion. A good photographer has the ability to communicate the various expressions through his pictures. They say, even rocks can speak, its all about observation.
The right technique blended with imagination can bring moments to life and narrate the story behind each photograph in a subtle manner. Since years photography has been exculpated as a mere journalistic medium, but conventionality has exposed its creative side.
The price of a photograph ranges between Rs. 8000 to 60,000. Last year, an Andreas Gursky landscape sold for US$2.48 million, and the sum of US$500,000 isn’t a huge amount for a top notch photographer in Europe or the US where photographers are viewed as great painters or sculptors.
Photography is viewed as a fine art and this is a delight for various fine art lovers. Top art galleries are also exploring this new dimension of art and are promoting photography in a big way. Some of the priceless works are by Satyajit Ray done by Nemai Ghosh comprising nearly 100,000 negatives which have been bought by Ashish Anand of Delhi Art Gallery.
Photography is indeed a truly creative art form that has varying dimensions and vast scope. It has proved that creativity has no boundaries and it cannot be limited. Photographs trap timeless expressions and help one admire the verstile patterns of life.