|
Starting as a photojournalist, Nrupen Madhvani has gradually added to his repertoire and is today an acclaimed fine-art photographer too. He speaks to Fotoflock.com about photography, art and how the twain shall meet!
You worked as an assistant to Mr Hiroyuki Yamamoto, a reputed Japanese photographer based in Tokyo. What did you gain from the experience? Professionally, I had reached a critical point in my career and I wanted some international experience. I chose Tokyo because I had always been drawn to the Japanese aesthetic. The films of Akira Kurosawa and the writing of Yukio Mishima were also influences. Also, I had seen Japanese TV commercials and print ads and some of them were so esoteric that a part of me was looking for answers. To cut to the chase, what I really gained was the opportunity to work at an international level with a great photographer. More practically, it was also my first experience with the intricacies of a large format camera and film. I was also exposed to the famous Japanese discipline along with their professionalism. Mr. Yamamoto taught me more than just photography. Through his kindness and generosity, I learnt a lot about life. You have photographed a wide range of different subjects including people, food, jewellery and landscapes. Is there any genre of photography which you particularly enjoy? There’s also interiors and fine art in that list… I particularly enjoy the process of compressing external spaces into the internal space of my viewfinder. Architecture and interior areas are always designed keeping the nuances of light in mind. My job is to compose and realize these spaces and if possible, surprise the very people who had conceived it. I find this fascinating. Fine art, on the other hand, allows me the freedom to express my thoughts on a variety of subjects, and present them to an audience in a personalized manner. It’s difficult for me to isolate any one genre, because all the different subjects that I tackle ultimately helps my growth in some way. Commercially, what I don’t enjoy is working on ‘safe’ assignments.
Do you think that, as a photographer, it is important to shoot a variety of subjects? This is a question close to my heart. I started off as a photojournalist and then moved to advertising and editorial photography. As a visually motivated person, it’s important to understand that the canvas is as large, or as small, as you make it. Life is too short to concentrate only on a telephoto viewpoint. Variety is under-rated. People seem to forget that it is the spice of life! I have an intensely active mind and monotony sets in if I don’t keep broadening my horizon. Many of your photographs of people are shot in black and white. Is there a reason for this? There is, definitely. Let me put it this way… I believe in the theory of an alternate reality. With B&W, I get a peek into another world; a world without color. B&W is an abstraction and you arrive there by combining various tones of grey. After all, aren’t we, as humans, far more interesting because of the grey areas that exist in our personalities? We also refer to the mind as ‘grey matter’. Other than portraits, I use B&W because it works better for certain subjects. Having said that, I must add that this is a very complex subject and I am still trying to understand it.
A lot of your work has been in India… what do you think is special about what India has to offer? India is very special. Which other country in the world is as diverse as ours? Which other country has as many dialects and languages? As many varied customs and cuisines? Even geographically, we have everything from the mountains to the sea. And color… I sometimes think that we invented it! Visit Gujarat and Rajasthan and you’ll see what I mean. I’ve been fortunate enough to have travelled across India by all possible modes of transport, including bullock carts. What I love the most is road trips because I can stop anywhere and shoot anything. The potential of India is limitless. You describe your work mantra as “We do not see things as they are; we see them as we are.” Can you explain what this means? It’s actually not as complex as it sounds. If you are able to put more of yourself, your experiences, and who you are into what you do, then the work will have something very special… your very own, personal, unique signature. You have also directed several short films as well as an experimental music video. Do you think these experiences have influenced your photography in any way? It’s actually the other way around… my knowledge and experience with the medium of photography has allowed to better express myself through my films. Because of my background, I can perhaps see visual opportunities where other directors may not, and in the process take the film narrative to another level. Who has inspired you? A lot of people from all walks of life, including family and friends. From the photographers, it would be Cartier-Bresson, Ansel Adams, Jerry Uelsmann, Arnold Newman, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts, Annie Leibowitz, Steve McCurry, Raghu Rai, Pablo Bartholomew, Hideki Fujii, and my sensei, Hiroyuki Yamamoto. Finally, the person who brought photography to life for me was my first teacher, Mr. Behlihomji. He was in his 60s when I first met him. His passion for photography was infectious and his energy was boundless.
You say that you are still “passionately evolving”. How do you manage to achieve this? This is an easy one. I have what I refer to as a ‘very healthy insecurity’. This feeling pushes me to try harder. One of the things that I try and remember on a daily basis is that the only constant is change. Besides, it always helps the whole evolutionary process if you love what you do. You are well-known for your fine art photography. What do you think is the future of fine art photography in India? It feels good to be acknowledged for my part in this field. I am very upbeat about the future of fine art in India. Actual sales may not directly reflect what I’m saying but if you look at the number of exhibitions in various Indian metros, and also the fact that many global websites are giving importance to the photographic image, then this genre is definitely moving in the right direction. Fundamentally, as image-makers, what we need to keep in mind is that selling a fine art image is incidental. The main thrust has to be the act of creating something of value. This thought-process will improve the overall quality of fine art images in the market, and better quality will gradually lead to a bigger quantity in terms of sales. What are your thoughts on printing? I guess one of the uppermost thoughts when printing is ‘how do I get my blacks to look, on paper, the way I see them on my monitor screen?’ The denseness of black or lack of it can actually make or break a particular image. There are many variables involved, especially at the printing stage. My job is to try and get the most out of the technology that is available to me within the budget that I have. So, I try and minimize these variables, for example, the optimal combination of image, printer, and paper. What printing equipment do you use? The printers I use are all from the Epson stable! For high-end work, I use the 9800 and 11880. For daily chores, I use the Epson Stylus CX5500 which I received as part of an award for my B&W image called ‘Unbottled’ in the Epson Photo Imaging Contest 2007. More photos by Nrupen Madhvani.
|