For a commoner, pressing the button of an image-capturing device is merely a routine snapshot, but to the experienced photographer, actuation of the shutter is a sacred undertaking that requires vivid appreciation, sound decision, impeccable precision and most of all, sincere compassion. These photographers indulge in areas of interest in proportion to their affinity towards various disciplines and subjects such as architecture, fashion, documentary, war, sports, etc.

While most aspiring photographers across the country took fancy to fashion and advertising, Arif Mahmood opted to transform his camera into the voice of the common people. Loaded with conviction, he is a natural proponent of true expression who maintains a hawk’s vigil on the trivialities of the street through the lens of his camera. A believer of stark realities and their unambiguous portrayal, he has unravelled the mysteries of human existence in a society that is threatened by decay and mounting constraints.

Curated by Aesha Arif, an exhibition titled, ‘Philosophy’ was recently held at the Chawkandi Art Gallery, Karachi, with an assortment of 38 photographic spectacles by Mahmood. Broadly based on the paradoxical concept of living concomitantly in reality and fantasy, the archives of the artist address one facet of this multi-tiered philosophy. Probing into the more complex areas of individual minds through the truthful lens of the camera, Mahmood infers that the subjects appreciate the dimension of space incipiently and are endeavouring to harmonise with it.

Mahmood’s fetish for photographing common people on the streets took roots during the late 1980s when his sensitive nature felt the misfortunes of the hapless people. He is of the opinion that despite the assurance for opportunities, the unwary natives continue to confront paucity of worthy options. In an environment of eroding compassion, there is a segment of the underprivileged who struggle for survival by choosing the least worst alternative.

The photographer’s perception of reduced privileges to the unfortunate is evident from the series of snapshots that emerged from a ramshackle drug rehabilitation centre. The heartrending works depict the predicament faced by the desolate addicts who resort to this deplorable retreat simply because they do not have an alternative.

Most of Mahmood’s photography is compulsively instinctive because of the dynamic subjects that dominate across the exhibition’s bromide repertoire. The large amount of information captured in the frames corroborates the fact that he knows exactly when to let the shutter wink.

In the current work, ostensibly, the subjects appear banal and the compositions look prosaic, but once the eye moves around the monochromes, the intensity of the concept begins to materialise briskly. Thus, the profoundness of Mahmood’s vision to freeze the decisive moment within a millionth of a second indeed deserves unconditional acknowledgement.

Apart from the single picture frames, there are a few large assemblages, which are composed in the format of contact sheets, with occasional doodles and text inscribed in coloured markers. The syntax of the text bordering the multiple prints exudes subtle messages that also grant the viewers an opportunity to draw their own conclusions. Graffiti on the prints such as ‘Oxygen machine’, ‘A place to find rest and keep. Home!’, ‘The significance of survival!’ and ‘House of hope’ punctuates the artist’s collection, giving it a distinct character. These collages are an innovative tangent to the conventional photographic frames that one usually observes at exhibitions. By establishing a physical connection with the photographs through manual inscription, almost a signature style, the artist depicts his ingrained compassion for the life and culture of the forlorn city that beseeches for deliverance.