Sculpting in Film
Here is a book that every lover of Indian art would like to possess. A heavy volume that runs up to 387 pages, neatly designed and strongly built, contains the photographs of the veteran photographer Nemai Ghosh. These are the photographs of fifty two senior artists of India, who are at their studios, engrossed in their works, at times looking at the photographer with a flicker of surprise reflecting on their faces. Nemai Ghosh’s lens captures them with love, care and sensitivity. He like a silent and invisible observer stands in their studios and clicks them without using a single artificial light source. He is a purist and does not want to spoil the effects of natural/available light falling on his ‘subjects’. These are not mechanically mastered prints. They don’t show a trace of digitalized interventions.
Nemai Ghosh’s name is always attached with the legendary film maker Satyajit Ray. Ina Puri likens his position in Ray’s life to James Boswell’s role in Dr.Johnson’s life. Nemai got direction and sense of purpose from Ray’s life. An assignment from a foreign agency to document the works of Rabindranath Tagore took Nemai to Shantiniketan and this led him to develop close associations with artists like Benode Behari Mukherjee, Jamini Roy, Ramkinker Baij, Somnath Hore, Sarbari Roy Choudhury and so on. He trained his lenses at them, not thinking that he would ever publish or exhibit those photographs. However, this association with several artists made him to turn his camera towards the lives of those artists who were living in Kolkata during seventies and eighties. Manjit Bawa and Ina Puri inspired him to come out of his Kolkatan base and look at other artists living elsewhere in India, through his lens.
This sets the backdrop of the book. Nemai Ghosh acknowledges the role of Ina Puri and Manjit Bawa in his life, who introduced him to Sunaina Anand of Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi, who immediately commissioned and funded him to do an ambitious project to capture the images of the artists in their studios. Nemai’s introductory words are simple, poignant and sincere. Dr.Geeti Sen gives an over view about the art practice in India in the lead essay.
Nemai Ghosh does not make commentaries through his works. Like a true documentary artist, he clicks the moments that he finds suitable. Focusing of lens is almost like finding a spiritual union and physical rhythm with the movements of his subject. The artists look serene and contended. Except for Nalini Malani’s quick movement of her right hand most of the artists look quite calm and composed in these works. Perhaps, this is one of the minus points that I would find in these photo documentation. Why cant there be more action? Do all Indian artists remain so composed and calm at their studios? Only K.S.Radhakrishnan looks a bit moody and agitated while at work. I am reminded of the pictures of Jackson Pollock, Giocometti at work. There are movements and feeling of creative agitation. Indian artists’ interiors look so designed and they seem to be always in a ‘lila’ with their works. Nemai’s project falters at this point, though I am not a photography historian to say so.
These photographs do not tell lies. Most of the Delhi artists are seen in pullovers and jackets. That means, Nemai Ghosh visited them during a winter season. I know personally that many artists wear very clean clothes in their studios. A.Ramachandran is one who wears olive green corduroy trousers and somber colored shirts. He wears an apron at work. But many artists who are featured in this book look so spick and span in their clothes. Do they always look like that? Amitava Das looks closer to life in his rugged sweaters. Madhvi Parekh is in her usual self. Radhakrishan, in his studio, usually wears neat clothes, but I have observed that the effect of clay is often seen in his trousers and working shoes. Somehow, Radhakrishnan also looks ‘too’ clean in this photograph.
Does that mean only dirty clothes make artists look like working? No. I don’t say so. These are sincere documentations. What I expected was some more action, some more agitation and some more reality. Nemai Ghosh’s Ray photographs always show Ray in different attires. They have a bit more touch of reality. One more aspect that comes out clear through the book is the gender imbalance in our art scene. Out of fifty two artists we have only six women artists. Anyway, that is an interesting pointer.
One has to admit that this is a major step in the field of art book publication. Here is a book that would stand the test of time both in theme and content. Art Alive Gallery has been doing great contributions to art publication. This is another mile stone worth remembering.
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