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When was the last time we had a seminal show on photography? The current VM Gallery, Karachi, exhibition ‘The family’ is a fair indicator of how doable it is. Seasoned photographer Arif Mahmood as curator has mobilised a clutch of accomplished photographers like Aasim Akhtar, Amean J, Arif Ali, Arif Mahmood, Ayesha Vellani, Emaan Rana, Farah Mahbub, Izdeyar Setna, Malika Abbas, Mohammad Adil, Stephan Andrew, Tahir Jamal, Tapu Javeri and Qamar Bana to document their perspectives on the family for this show.
Their photo art travels beyond the conventional nuclear or biological family structure to penetrate to other spaces of human bonding where vulnerability, concern, closeness and mutual respect emerge in a wide range of commemorative and critical hues. From observing a family of professional scavengers to expressing loss of a loved one to revisiting generational dissolutions, as well as the varied expressions of joyous togetherness, the exhibition is a sensitive visual portfolio of the changing nature of the family as well as human values in this day and age.
Here curator Arif Mahmood speaks about the art works and the current standing of photography as a genre.
‘The family’ exhibition lifts the curtain on the social fabric of life here. How useful is photography as a tool to penetrate the cultural complexities and malaises of a Third World country like Pakistan? Comment with relevance to the show.
Photography has this element of being a documentary tool of anything which the photographer focuses on. In this exhibit the artists are interpreting the concept of ‘The family’ in their own individual styles. The work shows a mixture of daily life routines, cultural stratification and has a common thread of a flavour which makes Pakistan what it is today. The viewer is forced to see the concept of the family in its property of togetherness and its lonely aspect where the individual is segregated from his loved ones either by death or circumstance.
The body of work exhibited can only give a flavour through its visuals and is also subject to the viewer’s interpretation. For me the personal works stand out more in the show simply because they are stronger and represent a very common humanistic feeling of nostalgia compared to the others which are purely anthropological in nature.
This exhibition celebrates the technical and conceptual virtuosity of our photographers. Is art photography receiving the attention and appreciation it deserves in the current art climate here?
In my opinion there was always art in photography but in the past the viewer was unaware of it (i.e. in Pakistan). In the present times where everything is being bombarded at the press of a button to him i.e. the viewer, he is more educated and thus more aware of the broader span of art and so photography as well.
How has digital art revolutionised photography—what is your advice to students aspiring for a career in photography?
I would say yes digital photography has made it easier to manipulate the initial image and make it more in control of the artist to multilayer images for digital art. But my advice to students aspiring for a career in photography would be to start from the basics which are film so they can be disciplined and trained in pure photography before getting into digital interpretations. The concept of learning never stops and no single person is an authority in any field. Thus we should always keep on learning whatever we can in any field chosen, it will only add to your knowledge of the medium.
